Gun show attendees speak out on gun purchasing, ownership after recent shootings in Tucson
BROOKSVILLE –
Hundreds of people filled in and out of the Hernando County Fairgrounds Saturday morning, weaving in and out of rows of guns, knifes and accessories.
While the gun show, sponsored by the Hernando Sportsman’s Club, allowed businesses and individuals to buy, sell or just admire an array of guns and knifes, some couldn’t help being reminded of the Jan. 8 shooting in Tucson, Ariz., when a gunman opened fire in front of a Safeway, killing six people and wounding 13 others including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
Some say stricter gun laws would have prevented something like this from happening. Some say those who want to find a way around the laws always will.
Tara Bryant, who was helping her husband Gary, owner of New Centurion Arms LLC in Inverness, sell and buy antique shotguns and rifles at their booth, said she thinks the laws that are already written should be enforced as strictly as possible.
“To me, shooting is a sport. I know a lot of people complain about gun owners, especially with all that’s happened in the news lately. There are irresponsible people that do illegal things and there are many, many laws on the books that just need to be enforced, said Bryant, who is a former National Rifle Association instructor. “I’d feel more guilty being a restaurant owner or a grocery store owner or definitely a liquor store owner because more people die from obesity and drunk driving and things than they ever do from guns.”
Some of those state laws include that a person must be 21 years old in order to purchase a handgun or handgun ammunition and 18 years old to buy a rifle or shotgun or ammunition from a retail firearm dealer, according to the National Rifle Association website.
No permits are required in order to possess or purchase rifles, shotguns or handguns but immediate background checks are completed.
Bryant said firearm safety education at an earlier age is one of the best ways to prevent accidents from happening.
“If you see young kids here, people might freak out but it’s great to actually teach them at a young age how to respect guns,” she said. “We always teach everyone to treat a gun as though it were loaded.”
In accordance with state law, concealed weapon permit carriers are allowed to purchase a gun at the gun show, like the one at the fairgrounds, from another private individual without delay.
According to the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, in order to obtain a concealed weapons permit in Florida, applicants must be 21 years old, take a training course and pass a background check, proving the person is a United States resident, is not a convicted felon and does not suffer from physical or mental frailty, but state law prohibits concealed weapons at some venues that include sporting events.
Those who are exempted from a concealed weapons license include persons having firearms at their home or place of business, enrolled members of clubs organized for target, skeet, or trapshooting, while at or going to or from shooting practice, or military and law enforcement personnel while so employed.
Without a concealed weapons license, there is typically a three-day waiting period after the purchase of a gun from a retail establishment but not a private seller.
In Florida, possessing an automatic weapon is illegal unless owned under federal rules that state it’s for an individual to purchase an automatic rifle if it was registered before May 19, 1986, and certain criteria are met.
Also, the National Firearms Act of 1934 states that a $200 tax must be paid to the Internal Revenue Service each time a machine gun is possessed or transferred from one legally registered and authorized person to another. The Treasury Department must also approve the applicant.
An individual may make a machine gun if he applies to the ATF and can provide documentation the machine gun will be made for distribution to a state or federal agency, as machine guns are still in use by some entities, including the U.S. military. All assault weapons must be applied for and registered with the Secretary of the Treasury.
Ed Kagey, 82, said even with an abundance of laws, enforcing them will always be a challenge.
“I don’t think complete gun control is the best but the people that want to get guns will get them,” he said. “I do think certain guns, like fully automatic guns, shouldn’t be available to the public. They need to be in the hands of the military and that’s it.”
