The Los Angeles County Sheriff was quickly shutting down gun stores in his jurisdiction Tuesday after determining that selling a firearm is not an essential service during the coronavirus crisis.
Alex Villanueva warned that if the shops don’t shutter, they could lose the license to operate, the Los Angeles Times reported.
REUTERS/Danny Moloshok
“Gun shops, strip clubs, night clubs are nonessential businesses. We are trying to get them to close their doors,” he told the Times. “If they don’t close their doors, they will be cited.” (RELATED: Coronavirus Reportedly Pushing Gun And Ammo Sales Skyward)
“We aren’t going to haul people off to jail,” he added.
Both LA County and the state of California have issued shelter in place decrees that order people to stay at home and non-essential businesses to temporarily close.
A reporter with Fox News’ Los Angeles affiliate said the sheriff’s deputies are fanning out across the county, “going to the stores one by one to order them shut down.”
BREAKING: LA County Sheriff tells me he is beginning to close county gun stores immediately. Deputies are currently going to the stores one by one to order them shut down. Sheriff to utilize scofflaw violations for any gun store still open after he deemed them nonessential @FOXLA
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) March 24, 2020
Reporter Bill Melugin tweeted that Villanueva is “a gun owner himself, supports 2nd amendment, but believes too many first time buyers are panicking and bringing guns into homes where people are locked down, which he believes is a recipe for disaster with potential accidental shootings.”
The Sheriff told me he is a gun owner himself, supports 2nd amendment, but believes too many first time buyers are panicking and bringing guns into homes where people are locked down, which he believes is recipe for disaster with potential accidental shootings. @FOXLA
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) March 24, 2020
(Photo credit: JIM YOUNG/AFP/Getty Images)
Melugin added that the sheriff claims shutting down gun stores has nothing to do with violating the Second Amendment or “banning gun sales, it’s about first time buyers flooding stores and creating a social distancing issue at a non essential businesses.” (RELATED: ‘You’re Full Of Sh**’: Biden Gets Into Shouting Match With Auto Worker Over Guns)
NEW: LA County Sheriff says the closing of gun stores isnt about the 2nd amendment or banning of gun sales, it’s about first time buyers flooding stores and creating a social distancing issue at a non essential businesses. No citations yet. Voluntarily compliance so far. @FOXLA
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) March 24, 2020
The National Rifle Association has noted that gun control advocates are using the coronavirus crisis as an excuse to further their agenda.