Parents of Naval Air Shooting Victim Advocate ‘Concealed Carry’ on Military Bases

Parents of Pensacola, Florida, Naval Air shooting victim Joshua Watson are seeking “concealed carry” on military bases around the country.

Watson was one of three innocents killed when Mohammed Alshamrani opened fire in one of the base’s classroom buildings December 6, 2019.

Breitbart News reported that the base was a gun-free zone at the time of the attack, which meant that Alshamrani’s victims were unable to defend themselves.

Breitbart News also reported that the firearms policy for the station, as issued by Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, says:

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 makes clear that “state issued ‘concealed weapons permits’ are not recognized on any Navy installation.” Moreover, it says that personal firearms brought on base after obtaining approval from a commanding officer “may only be stored in the installation’s armory.” En route to the armory such 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.”

Joshua Watson’s father, Benjamin, suggested that allowing military personnel to carry concealed would be a great deterrent to any future attacks.

Fox News quoted Benjamin saying he wants to be sure we arm “young men and women who are stranding watch” in the military. Benjamin’s son was not armed and his last act, before succumbing to his wounds, was to run for help after the gunman opened fire.

Benjamin added, “I’m for concealed carry. … It would be such a deterrent to anybody that would harm us, knowing that anyone in who’s walking that base in uniform, they could be armed. They could return fire. They could defend themselves and others. We don’t have that right now.”

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.