March 21, 2023 A gun store owner was praised by Yakima’s police chief and the Yakima County sheriff for helping to keep firearms from a potentially violent person, who now faces federal charges.
By Phil Ferolito Source Yakima Herald-Republic, Wash. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Two top cops in the Yakima Valley applauded the efforts of a local shooting range and gun shop owner for possibly thwarting a violent act.
Yakima County Sheriff Bob Udell and Yakima Police Chief Matt Murray joined Austin Harlan, owner of The Range, to share how he kept a gun from the hands of a potential gun buyer who was making violent threats.
The announcement came as proposed legislation banning assault weapons is making its way through the Legislature.
Legislation seeking to ban manufacture, importation, distribution or sale of assault weapons cleared the House and is scheduled for a Thursday hearing in the Senate Committee on Law and Justice.
The House also approved another piece of legislation requiring gun buyers to take a gun safety course and undergo a background check before receiving a firearm.
Supporters of the legislation cite the use of assault-style weapons in mass shootings as reason to ban them.
But Harlan said drugs fuel mental health issues that eventually lead to violence. He said banning weapons is the wrong way to combat the problem.
“We’re looking at the symptoms, not the cause,” Harlan said.
He said his shop and range teach people gun safety, conduct background checks and can help prevent a violent act.
“We are tired of being blamed for things we are actively blamed for every day,” he said. “Without us, your problems will grow exponentially.”
Harlan said a man recently came to his shop and purchased a gun. The man had made violent threats, and another gun shop contacted Harlan to warn him.
Harlan didn’t give the man the gun but instead contacted police. Now the man is facing federal charges, Murray said.
“There are these areas out there where violence is prevented and in this case it helped to be a gun shop,” Murray said.
Mental health issues, drugs and guns are a bad mix, Udell said, recalling a time when he and his friends were allowed to keep their hunting guns in their trucks. No one ever got hurt, he said.
“So what’s changed?” Udell asked. “Guns haven’t changed; it’s people.”
Harlan said reducing violence will take a community effort focused on combating drugs and mental health issues.