Gun store opening next door to Franklin Sherman Elementary in Mclean

[Anonymous]

I have children that attend the school and I support the gun shop. It's their right to sell guns. If only more people owned firearms, their would be less mass killings. I support the shop and the landlord! Congrats NOVA!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It appears that the landlord and the lessee are in violation of federal Gun Free School Zones Act. Among other mandates, the GFSZA

The Gun-Free School Zones Act (GFSZA) prohibits any person from knowingly possessing a firearm that has moved in or otherwise affects interstate or foreign commerce at a place the individual knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, is a school zone.30 The GFSZA defines “school zone” as: 1) in, or on the grounds of, a public, parochial or private school; or 2) within a distance of 1,000 feet from the grounds of a public, parochial or private school.31

http://smartgunlaws.org/guns-in-schools-policy-summary/

The fine print below this indicates that as long as the guns are stored unloaded and behind a locked display counter (which is standard), or carried by someone with an existing CCW, the store's location would not violate the GFSZA:

The federal prohibition against possessing a gun in a school zone does not apply, however:
To people licensed by the state or locality to possess the gun.32 This exception applies to many people licensed to possess firearms or to carry concealed firearms; see our summaries on Licensing Gun Owners or Purchasers and Carrying Concealed Weapons for more information about these licensing requirements.
If the firearm is unloaded and “in a locked container, or a locked firearms rack that is on a motor vehicle.”33

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have children that attend the school and I support the gun shop. It's their right to sell guns. If only more people owned firearms, their would be less mass killings. I support the shop and the landlord! Congrats NOVA!

Said no one ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ The shop in Falls Church less than a mile away from the school and the sign outside is huge. The pawn shop in Lyon Village has prominent signs on the windows stating that they will happily purchase guns. Honestly, it sounds like people just want something to complain about. Probably half the families in McLean have a member of the household with a CCW permit and keep a firearm in the house, whether they're willing to admit it or not.

Is the gun shop in Falls Church visible from the school grounds?

Not sure, as I've never been on the school grounds (or in that gun shop). It's on the main drag (Broad St) and surrounded by a bunch of other office buildings with a fenced parking lot and trees in the back-- the setup probably makes it hard to see from anywhere but right next door because of how everything is crammed in so tightly there. Someone more familiar with the area/ school could probably tell you for certain. It's not like anyone would have a hard time finding it and driving the 90 seconds to the school if they were so inclined, though.

It would be [/i]walking[i] for 90 seconds to get to Franklin Sherman. If you have to get in the car to drive to the school in Falls Church, then it is probably not visible from the elementary school.

Are you worried that someone will buy a gun and walk into the elementary school? What is your specific concern about having the gun shop close to the school?

wow! YES! I hope you have your answer to your question. Who the heck are these people who keep asking what the problem is and if we are worried about kids buying guns? No an elementary kid isn't going to by a gun there. But someone who does can walk out and see kids playing.

It turns out that the petition supporting the gun shop's location in McLean was started by one of the shop's co-owners, Rachel Dresser. She's not a McLean resident, and she doesn't represent the community's values. I'm sure she's spamming this thread with her gun-loving pals.

Are you stalking her to? Perhaps you need a restraining order to control yourself. And no, I don't know her, so you may put that allegation to rest. Sweet dreams!

Don't let the pro- gun bullies get to you. Seriously, this all played out in Cherrydale with lots of intimidation tactics. They may try to make you feel unsafe without guns or anti -small-business. They understand exactly why they're unwelcome and they just don't care because they profit from guns. A product whose purpose is to kill.

Shall we take away the guns of the police officers?

Right, because the choice is: gun store next to school or unarmed police. Completely unrelated. A businessman should be sensitive to the community he invests in. I'm starting to think this gun store is either all about picking a fight or lacks business savvy. At least try to place your store out of sight of the school. You may think it's all about the second amendment, but the American psyche has been too exposed to school massacres to passively accept the profiting from guns as a welcome neighboring business. They kill kids and people. Pretty much every day. Do we have stats regarding the injuries or fatalities stemming from weapons sold by this proprietor (or weapons stolen from)? I'm pretty sure laws keep us from accessing that info. If the shop owner can honestly and with certainty say that nobody has ever died as a result of a weapon sold out of or stolen from his store, only then could I even begin a conversation. Because guns just make everyone safer, right?

I am the poster you are responding to. If you think I am the owner or even know the owner, you had best think again. Having made a significant investment in the McLean community over the years, I came to this controversy to learn what your concerns are, and have asked repeatedly. If your concern is in fact the safety of the community, than we need to look at each McLean business to see which ones are attracting crime, don't we?

I think we all know the general reputation of 7-11's and gas stations. Last week in fact, I was approached by a man telling me I needed to give him money, as I was pumping gas in McLean. I happen to be a woman. I then observed the same man approach every single woman who came to pump gas. Before I left I went to speak to one of the women who was also approached. She said she gave him money because she didn't know if he might hurt her. This was on a weekend afternoon. I later found out that the gas station has no security cameras, in case we had been attacked. I also learned "soliciting" was perfectly legal, unless the gas station put up "no soliciting" signs.

Now, as for McLean banks. I've lost count how often we've had hold-ups. You and your child could easily be inside at the wrong time. Do we care about any of that? Should each crime scene bank be forced out of town? Why not?

I therefore suspect that the protesters here care more about a political agenda, and less about the safety about the McLean community. Please prove me wrong.

[Anonymous]

McLean gun owner here. I really don't see the issue with the gunshop there. Since no one has listed any actual concerns, such as safety, it seems the concerns are at best superficial. Reaction from the local liberal politicians are not surprising.

If the owner does break the lease due to public bullying, it will be a shameful day for McLean that a legal business agreement between two private parties was broken due to mob witch-hunt mentality.

NOVA Firearms, hang in there, I will buy my next gun from you, I promise. There are plenty of others like me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:McLean gun owner here. I really don't see the issue with the gunshop there. Since no one has listed any actual concerns, such as safety, it seems the concerns are at best superficial. Reaction from the local liberal politicians are not surprising.

If the owner does break the lease due to public bullying, it will be a shameful day for McLean that a legal business agreement between two private parties was broken due to mob witch-hunt mentality.

NOVA Firearms, hang in there, I will buy my next gun from you, I promise. There are plenty of others like me.

I don't understand why no one has voiced an actual concern. I'll start: I don't want a gun shop near my kid's school because I don't want my kid seeing people go into a gun shop to buy a gun. I don't want him to think that it is a good idea for people to buy guns like candy. I don't want him to know that regular Joe Moron can buy and carry a gun just like his father, who is an FBI agent. I don't want him to be scared at night thinking of people with guns.

I don't want a gun shop near a school because it does attract unsavory people as well as those who have legitimate reasons to frequent a shop selling firearms. I don't want a gun shop near my kid's school because heaven forbid if my son was identified at the school as his father's child, and his father had arrested a person who had recently been released, I don't want there to be even the slightest possible way for someone to make a bad decision over a split second to procure a firearm and shoot it at an innocent child, most especially my kid (the son of the guy who put the criminal away). There would be practically no barrier of time between bad decision A (visiting the gun shop) and bad decision B (shooting a kid). There are thousands of people who would salivate over killing the child of a federal law enforcement officer. I have no interest in helping them with that fantasy, and the proximity of the gun shop to a school would only streamline the unthinkable.

I don't want a gun shop near a school because I don't want people to buy a firearm and then accidentally shoot it. If it is accidentally discharged, I would not want that accidental discharge to be anywhere near a school or school grounds.

I think I could keep going, but those are the things I worry about. I get it - we're in VA now, and people in VA seem to love their damn guns for reasons I find preposterous. I'm so glad we don't send our kid to this school.

[Anonymous]

Parent of a teen DC who is interested in learning about guns and going to a target range ... And who asked to see the store, so we drove by ... Even this "pro-gun" child was shocked - "OMG, it is right next to an elementary school! How can they put a gun store there... ?"

It's just a bad idea. It is RIGHT next to the school. They share a border. I wouldn't want an ABC store there either. Or a tobacco store though there is one farther down the road. But a gun store is even more fearsome to teachers and students -- like it or not, several of the most significant national tragedies of the past decade have involved guns and schools. It's not a combination anyone wants to think about as part of their hometown. And with this store you literally have to see it. The school and store are visible from the road.

Gun owners and sellers can't be this tone deaf. This location for a gun store is insane.

[Anonymous]

Why does NOVA Firearms want to move from their Elm Street location?

[Anonymous]

Pp who thinks a student can see *anything* from the school is hallucinating. I would not want her out walking on Chain Bridge Rd because there could be a significant public safety risk. That woman behind the wheel of a motor vehicle could be the cause of multiple fatalities. That would be a horrific tragedy in McLean. If my child witnessed real life mangled cars and occupants, that would must certainly give him, and everyone else nightmares for the rest of our lives.

Funny how she first says she has a kid at the school, but at the end she says she doesn't. Her husband's job appears to be in her imagination, as well. A mental health evaluation may be in order. Sooner rather than later. If she even has a child IRL, this is especially critical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It appears that the landlord and the lessee are in violation of federal Gun Free School Zones Act. Among other mandates, the GFSZA

The Gun-Free School Zones Act (GFSZA) prohibits any person from knowingly possessing a firearm that has moved in or otherwise affects interstate or foreign commerce at a place the individual knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, is a school zone.30 The GFSZA defines “school zone” as: 1) in, or on the grounds of, a public, parochial or private school; or 2) within a distance of 1,000 feet from the grounds of a public, parochial or private school.31

http://smartgunlaws.org/guns-in-schools-policy-summary/

If it's only legal when they are locked up, then how would a customer inspect a weapon and purchase it outside a case?

[Anonymous]

Reread it, 8:35, to get your answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It appears that the landlord and the lessee are in violation of federal Gun Free School Zones Act. Among other mandates, the GFSZA

The Gun-Free School Zones Act (GFSZA) prohibits any person from knowingly possessing a firearm that has moved in or otherwise affects interstate or foreign commerce at a place the individual knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, is a school zone.30 The GFSZA defines “school zone” as: 1) in, or on the grounds of, a public, parochial or private school; or 2) within a distance of 1,000 feet from the grounds of a public, parochial or private school.31

http://smartgunlaws.org/guns-in-schools-policy-summary/

If it's only legal when they are locked up, then how would a customer inspect a weapon and purchase it outside a case?

I think the problem is that there's an exception for anyone licensed by VA to possess the firearm. Profiting from gun violence next to a school - it doesn't get much uglier than that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does NOVA Firearms want to move from their Elm Street location?

Don't know, but they've gotten a lot of free publicity from the crazies. I live about a mile away and wil certainly stop by when shopping for my next gun and check out their prices for ammo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does NOVA Firearms want to move from their Elm Street location?

Don't know, but they've gotten a lot of free publicity from the crazies. I live about a mile away and wil certainly stop by when shopping for my next gun and check out their prices for ammo.

[Anonymous]

Anyone know what violence 8:46 is talking about?