On February 6th, peace activist and SAFE Act gun control proponent Dwayne Ferguson was arrested with a gun on his person at Buffalo, New York’s Harvey Austin Elementary School.
Friends have rallied to his side to say he ought not face the SAFE Act felony charges he supported for everyone else because it was “an honest mistake.”
According to The Buffalo News, 52-year old Ferguson said he “frequently carries the gun, for which he has a permit” and that he went to the school as part of a mentoring program, without even thinking about the gun being on his person.
The school received a call that a man with a gun was on campus about 4:15 PM. Thereafter, those on campus for afterschool programs were placed on lock-down. Ferguson called a Buffalo police lieutenant to ask why the school was locked down and was told a gunman had been reported on campus.
Supporter Rev. James E. Giles said Ferguson then led about 50 kids “into the cafeteria and closed the doors” to keep them safe. President of Buffalo United Front, George Johnson, added, “[Ferguson] probably was in a position to help the police not knowing that he was the one they were looking for.”
Ferguson was charged with “two counts of criminal possession of a weapon” under SAFE Act provisions.
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