Site of Pensacola Shooting a Gun-Free Zone

Naval Air Station Pensacola is a gun-free zone that does not recognize concealed carry permits for self-defense and requires all personal firearms to be locked in an armory.

A gunman opened fire at the air station on December 6, 2019, killing two and wounding numerous others.

A firearms policy for the station issued by Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, notes:

While federal and state laws differ widely on the subject, regulations pertaining to the registration, transportation, and storage of firearms on Naval Installations in the Mid-Atlantic area of responsibility are clear. According to the instruction, all hands share responsibility for adhering to regulations pertaining to the registration, transportation, and storage of firearms in the AOR.

The policy goes on to say that “state issued ‘concealed weapons permits’ are not recognized on any Navy installation.”

The policy leaves room for bringing a gun on base after obtaining approval from a commanding officer, but notes that such firearms “may only be stored in the installation’s armory.”

Moreover, during transport onto the installation, all firearms are to be “unloaded and secured with a trigger lock and ammunition must be carried in the farthest most possible location away from the firearm.”

On November 5, 2009, thirteen innocents were shot and killed in the gun-free zone at Fort Hood, Texas. On April 2, 2014, three innocents were shot and killed in a second attack in the gun-free zone at Fort Hood.

On July 16, 2015, a gunman attacked military offices in Chattanooga, Tennessee, killing five innocents. CNN reported that the Chattanooga gunman killed four marines and one sailor.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.