Sale of Guns Prohibited during Florida’s State of Local Emergency
Owners of gun shops in West Palm Beach in Florida recently said the State of Local Emergency in the city had forced them to reject customers. Guns and alcohol have also been prohibited.
According to reports, West Palm Beach declared the emergency on Sunday amid mass gatherings in protest after the death of George Floyd. Until now, demonstrations continue across the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast in reaction to the black man's killing.
As the emergency states, stores are not allowed to display guns or ammunition intentionally. During the state of emergency, it is also unlawful to own and bring a firearm while in a public area.
Adrienne Ellis, the Chief Assistant State Attorney at West Palm Beach, said through the Palm Beach Post, "Basically, the State of Emergency is urging participants not to bring a gun or weapon to a peaceful demonstration.
Other Stores can Sell
Guns and Range Training Center owner, Alex Shkop explained to the news agency that those who want to purchase a firearm could go to other shops in other municipalities of the Palm Beach County "that have not declared a State of Local Emergency.
In an article posted on Fox News, Shkop said, the directive does not shield anybody since, if a person wants to get something, he can just go to other stores less than two miles for a distance.
According to Baba Boom Guns managing partner Adam Golden, via an interview with the paper, he rejects customers looking for guns to buy to protect both their homes and themselves.
Golden added gun buyers are looking to buy firearms because they are worried the Police Department in West Palm Beach is "stretched thin."
The declaration of State of Emergency, Golden shared, is crippling. "How can you go for a week without pay?" He continued.
The gun store managing partner also shared he is unsure if he is allowed to hold firearms during training sessions, with the declaration of the emergency.
Spike in Sales
West Palm Beach's first enactment of the state of emergency was on Sunday Evening, after confrontations between police and agitators.
In addition, the gun store owners in the city said, the law has the opposite impact. They added, they saw an increase in sales in the middle of the uncertainty of this global health crisis, specifically among those who never had guns in their possession.
As earlier mentioned, since they are prohibited from selling firearms, Golden said he has been directing customers to businesses outside the city limits.
Meanwhile, for Shkop, who does training for a business, the city directive led him to consult an attorney. Its lack of transparency and precision, he elaborated, means that he is not sure if he can even conduct training sessions.
"We sell guns," he said, adding they do background checks. More so, the trainer said, they are not selling guns off the trucks. Lastly, Shkop also remarked, he calls the declaration "the irony of the law."
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