SAN CARLOS (KRON) — A heated debate on the Peninsula could stop a gun store from opening this month in San Carlos.
On Monday night at the City Council chambers, the public is sharing its grief.
At the core, this is a public safety issue for those against another gun store in San Carlos who admittedly say their emotions are running high after recent mass shootings.
This started when one resident drove by the storefront on Industrial Way and noticed the opening soon signs, so they spread the word.
And now, people are requesting that the council rethink allowing Turner’s Outdoorsman to open in their neighborhood.
So on Monday, the council is considering a moratorium, which could stall the opening for 45 days and potentially be extended up to two years while they review what standards they can require gun stores to follow.
“I think it’s for a few reasons,” said Aspen Moulden, who opposes the new gun store. “I think coming off of Las Vegas and Texas, it’s a very emotional thing. It’s an emotional reaction, but I also don’t think we need more guns in a small city. We are 29,000 residents, and there’s a place to buy a gun here. There’s a place to buy guns up and down the Peninsula. I don’t see a need for another.”
Others want the gun store to open.
“It’s agonizing to see what’s happened in our society as of late, but I don’t think that that really should infringe my second amendment rights,” said Billy Roarke, who supports the new gun store. “The right to a store where I can purchase things that I use legally.”
Community members pointed to a list of cases in which guns were stolen from Turner’s Outdoorsman stores across California, two of which were used in the San Bernardino attack.
But in defense, store reps say they go above and beyond offering services that instead enhance safety.
Requests for public comment amounts to 4 hours, so the council has asked that people keep it short.