Utah businesses react to Sandy Hook shooting with gun-related policies

UTAH – In the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn. last week, various Utah business enterprises have addressed gun control rights and responsibilities through commercial actions.

In an official statement, KSL announced Wednesday that it has suspended all private sales of firearms via their statewide classifieds.

“Like everyone else in the country, the management of KSL is profoundly saddened by the tragedy in Connecticut. In the wake of this and other similar incidents, important questions have been raised about the ease of access to guns. These questions deserve time for careful consideration and we are confident that an appropriate resolution will be found. Accordingly, KSL has temporarily suspended firearms listings on KSL.com classifieds. We recognize that this may inconvenience responsible citizens who have used this service, but we feel this is an important step while these broader societal issues are examined.”

Dick’s Sporting Goods suspended the sale of modern sporting rifles at all of their locations, including a recently opened store in St. George. They issued an official statement. These weapons include the Bushmaster AR-15, which was believed to have been used by Sandy Hook shooting suspect Adam Lanza.

Shortly after these announcements at least one website launch has emerged in Utah seeking to fill the void left by KSL and Dick’s, offering citizens a cooperative marketplace to buy and sell firearms.

The legal purchase, sale and trade of firearms has been welcomed through St. George News free Classifieds from inception and continues to be a viable marketplace for buyers and sellers.

Rowdy’s Range, a shooting range and gun supply store in St. George, will offer free concealed carry permit classes to any teacher for the month of January 2013.

“It’s not necessarily  a political stand or response to (the Newtown incident),” Rowdy’s Range General Manager Brett Pruitt said. “Whether you agree or disagree, oppose or support gun control, the one thing that we all agree upon is that our teachers are overworked, underpaid, they do a teriffic job – we’re not necessarily making a political statement but now was the time to do it with all the chaos and political posturing going on.”

“This is just Rowdy’s way of saying, ‘Thank you Teachers! We appreciate you,  and all you do for our Children'” Rowdy’s radio advertisements will broadcast starting tomorrow.

Persons holding a concealed carry permit are exempt from Utah law otherwise prohibiting the possession of certain firearms in defined school premises.

St. George News reporter Alexa Verdugo Morgan contributed to this article.

Related:

Local crisis lines; coping with tragedy; parenting helps

Hatch horrified by Newtown shooting

On the EDge: Tell me about your gun rights, it’s a bad bad day

Perspectives: Why gun control advocates, lynch mobs lack moral authority

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Twitter: @JoyceKuzmanic

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2012, all rights reserved.

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8 Comments

  • Karen December 19, 2012 at 6:34 pm

    There is no rational reason to have assault weapons with high-capacity magazines. Just look at the pictures of those 20 kids and 6 teachers. Just look at them.

    And, for the record, the Newtown medical examiner stated very clearly that it was the AR-15 that was used to kill the 20 kids and 6 teachers using multiple magazines that each hold 30 rounds.

    • zacii December 20, 2012 at 6:00 am

      The gun didn’t fire itself.

      There are several instances where such weapons are necessary for the defense of private citizens. The L.A. riots and the chaos of hurricane Katrina come to mind.

      • FBM December 20, 2012 at 9:14 am

        Do you even know what an assault weapon is? Or are you just repeating what the media keeps telling you? The AR-15 that the shooter used is not an assault weapon…it’s a semi-automatic rifle. Assault weapons are not that easy to get. They can cost several thousand dollars because they’re a class 3 weapon. Not to mention you have to fill out different paperwork than a regular semi-auto and you send it to the ATF and they have to approve it. It’s a long and tedious process.

        And who are you to say what a person can and can’t have? Just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean the rest of us have to give in to you. I see no rational reason for women in UT to have large families…4, 5, or 6 kids. It’s not healthy for their body. But you don’t see me going around and telling women how to live their lives.

        • Karen December 20, 2012 at 11:10 am

          Yes, I do know that the AR-15 is a semi-automatic rifle, and the Bushmaster version was not included in the original Assault Weapons Ban. I’ll leave it to Congress to determine which weapons and magazines should be banned in the future. Enough is enough.

  • Dave December 19, 2012 at 10:27 pm

    Look at Timothy Mcveigh, didn’t need any guns, 168 people perished that day plus many children. The 911 terrorists, airplanes. 3,000 some people. Many other acts of pure evil, and none of the trucks, planes, or guns had any motivation of their own to do what they did.

    • Tyler December 20, 2012 at 10:17 am

      Dave you probably do not even know why he bombed the building. It was because of gun control. He was a gun nut like you. Birds of a feather…

    • Not a Dixie-ite December 24, 2012 at 1:48 pm

      Timothy McVeigh’s background included: religious upbringing, attended church regularly, against gun control laws, mistrust for the government, Republican (okay, I added that), former military, former NRA member, owned a cache of firearms, upbringing included early introduction to firearms.

  • Steamer December 20, 2012 at 9:58 am

    My hat’s off to Dick’s Sporting Goods and KSL Classifieds for taking such a bold stand in a state like Utah. While everyone on both sides of the issue has no shortage of opinions, what really counts is what VP Biden and his committee come up with, and what eventually becomes the law of the land. Wouldn’t it be nice if the NRA would offer to take part in developing pro-active change that could actually help?

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