Delaware Governor John Carney (D) changed his statewide shutdown order Thursday, recognizing gun stores as “essential” and allowing them to remain open.
WBOC reports that Carney’s original order, released Sunday, had gun stores listed as “non-essential,” and therefore under instruction to remain closed until May 15.
Some gun stores throughout the state defied Carney, remaining open Monday thru Thursday of this week. As a result, three gun stores in New Castle alone had been served with “cease and desist letters and closed down.”
Delaware State Sportsmen’s Association’s Jeff Hague reacted to the determination of gun store owners, saying, “If people believe that you have the right to keep and bear arms, if you closed all the gun stores and not allow anybody to purchase a firearm you’re infringing on that constitutional right.”
On Thursday the Governor’s shutdown order was changed to allow gun stores to remain open with certain restrictions:
Firearms dealers may conduct sales of firearms, ammunition, and other goods directly related to responsible firearm storage and maintenance, by appointment only. No more than two appointments per half hour shall occur, and sellers are limited to operating during normal working hours they operated on prior to the State of Emergency. Any seller who violates such directive may be subject to criminal prosecution or other civil enforcement remedies up to and including arrest or the involuntary closure of the business.
The Second Amendment Foundation’s Alan Gottlieb reacted to the Governor’s changes, saying, “We’re delighted that cooler heads have prevailed in Delaware. A considerable amount of hard work went into this, and to be honest, we’d rather not have to file lawsuits against anybody under the present circumstances.”
Gottlieb added, “We can think of no more essential endeavor outside of health care and emergency services during a time of crisis than a business that enables citizens to exercise their fundamental right protected by the Second Amendment.”
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 at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.