FORT MYERS, Fla. -- President Obama called for more gun control in light of the tragic shooting in Orlando Sunday, but gun owners told Fox 4 they think that is not the answer.
The president added nightclub to the list of places mass shootings have taken place in a press conference Sunday afternoon. "This massacre is further a reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon that lets them shoot people in a school, or in a house of worship, or a movie theater, or in a nightclub," he said.
The conversation of gun control always comes about after every mass shooting in the United States. Gun owners in Fort Myers told Fox 4 limiting guns is not the answer. The manager at Fowler Firearms & Gun Range said people reacted to the tragic shooting by buying more guns, Sunday. "I've had two purchases today because people are so afraid that something like tat can happen to them..and it can. This was only a couple of hours from here," said Jon Dezendorf.
The gunman legally purchased at least two guns within the last week or so, according to FBI agents. The background check to buy a firearm is similar to any other background check. "You cannot have any felonies on your record, any domestic violence, and only certain misdemeanors are acceptable," Dezendorf said.
The shooter was equipt with an automatic rifle and a handgun, according to police, opening fire with more than 300 people inside the Pulse nightclub.
Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott also reacted to the situation. In a Facebook post, he criticized the President for his policies limiting armored vehicles or police.
A note from Sheriff Mike Scott:
In recent years, President Obama has issued “executive orders” limiting law enforcement access to armored vehicles and criticizing use of same. As always, his willing partners in the media promote the notion that law enforcement officers should somehow respond to critical events in kinder, gentler fashion. We had examples of this flawed thinking not long ago when the FMPD acquired a military surplus vehicle before Obama put the brakes on that program. We at the LCSO have had an armored Bearcat for years; indeed, the very same style vehicle used earlier this morning to stop the mass shooting in the Orlando nightclub. It’s just this simple folks, bullets are bullets whether they are flying on the foreign soil of Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. or anywhere USA like say, Orlando? This most recent tragedy in Orlando is yet another example of how real the threat can be, and my thoughts and prayers are with the injured and the families of those killed. I am left to wonder how our President and anyone subscribing to his shallow rhetoric about demilitarizing police would respond to a hail of gunfire. It is truly a hypocrite that rides around in armored vehicles while suggesting that the modern day law enforcement officers do otherwise.
-Mike
Dezendorf said the police force should be well-prepared as well as citizens. "Whether they're just citizens, or whether it's the military or law enforcement, we all need to stay on high alert because the bad guys are."
