Alex Villanueva deemed gun stores “non essential” businesses and ordered them to close during the coronavirus crisis.


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LA Sheriff Closes, Opens then Closes Gun Stores Again

On Tuesday this week Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva deemed gun stores “non-essential” businesses and ordered them to close during the coronavirus crisis. This move was contradicted hours later however after the county's top lawyer said firearm retailers could remain open.
 
Neither the county order nor the executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom specifically mentioned gun stores, prompting the Los Angeles County counsel's office to issue a statement late Tuesday saying it “opined that gun stores qualify as essential businesses. That legal opinion from counsel prompted a retraction from Sheriff Villanueva.
 
On Thursday Sheriff Villanueva consulted with police chiefs across the county and decided that only police officers and licensed security guards are allowed to purchase firearms and ammunition at the stores, an order that applies to the county and any cities within that are patrolled by the sheriff’s department.
 
NSSF® encourages Californians to please contact Sheriff Villanueva and ask him to allow firearm businesses to remain open.


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