- Title: "I want to be prepared": gun sales spike in Texas ahead of election
- Date: 29th September 2020
- Summary: HOUSTON, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 25, 2020) (REUTERS) GUN OWNER AND RETIRED MARINE TEANA WALKER LOOKING THOUGH OPTIC MOUNT OF AN AR-15 STYLE RIFLE SALES ASSOCIATE AT FULL ARMOR FIREARMS MEKHI BARNES SHOWING GUN OWNER AND RETIRED MARINE TEANA WALKER HOW TO MANIPULATE AR-15 STYLE RIFLE AND LOADING MAGAZINE GUN OWNER AND RETIRED MARINE TEANA WALKER HOLDING AR-15 STYLE RIFLE (SOUNBITE) (English) MEKHI BARNES, SALES ASSOCIATE AT FULL ARMOR FIREARMS, SAYING: "My name is Mekhi Barnes, I'm 22 years old and in the gun industry, about two years. I feel like the Second Amendment is so important to a lot of people, because you can't leave your life into somebody else's hands every single time. But you can protect your own. As far as self-preservation., I do feel like that's been part of the gun industry since it was made in the Second Amendment, so." SALES ASSOCIATE AT FULL ARMOR FIREARMS MEKHI BARNES TESTING AN AR-15 STYLE RIFLE IN SHOOTING RANGE WITH GUN OWNER AND RETIRED MARINE TEANA WALKER BEHIND HIM SHOOTING TARGET AT SHOOTING RANGE VARIOUS OF GUN OWNER AND RETIRED MARINE TEANA WALKER TESTING AR-15 STYLE RIFLE INSIDE SHOOTING RANGE (SOUNBITE) (English) MEKHI BARNES, SALES ASSOCIATE AT FULL ARMOR FIREARMS, SAYING: "Recently, especially with the civil unrest in the country, we've definitely seen a spike, a second spike in sales since the coronavirus. So, I believe that's it. It's a lot of people finally realizing that they're not as safe as they think, especially in their own neighborhood. So, they're just coming in to protect themselves, and I do understand that." VARIOUS OF AR-15 STYLE RIFLES IN STORE SHELF SALES ASSOCIATE AT FULL ARMOR FIREARMS MEKHI BARNES WITH CUSTOMER IN STORE COUNTER HANDGUN IN CUSTOMER'S HAND AND HANDING TO SALES ASSOCIATE AT FULL ARMOR FIREARMS MEKHI BARNES SALES ASSOCIATE AT FULL ARMOR FIREARMS MEKHI BARNES TALKING TO CUSTOMER IN STORE COUNTER VIEW OF HANDGUNS THROUGH A GLASS WINDOW (SOUNBITE) (English) MEKHI BARNES, SALES ASSOCIATE AT FULL ARMOR FIREARMS, SAYING: "Honestly, me being in the gun industry, I've kind of like an opposite view on the guns. Like I don't want them all to go away. There's a definite purpose in them. But I don't feel like if, you know, somebody takes the White House that they're automatically going to just disappear and everybody's gonna go away. It's in the Constitution. It'd be unconstitutional not to. And I feel like a lot of people would push back on that." VARIOUS OF SALES ASSOCIATE AT FULL ARMOR FIREARMS MEKHI BARNES WITH GUN OWNER AND RETIRED MARINE TEANA WALKER HOLDING AR-15 INSIDE THE STORE (SOUNBITE) (English) TEANA WALKER, GUN OWNER AND RETIRED MARINE, SAYING: "As far as I'm concerned, I think the best thing for everyone is to be able to carry a firearm for protection." SALES ASSOCIATE AT FULL ARMOR FIREARMS MEKHI BARNES LOOKING THROUGH REAR SIGHT OF AR-15 AND RETURNING IT TO SHELF (SOUNBITE) (English) MEKHI BARNES, SALES ASSOCIATE AT FULL ARMOR FIREARMS, SAYING: "There's not gonna be some kinds of crazy civil war. I feel a lot of people will calm down about it, whether the election goes his way or not. It's about a peaceful transfer of power. I hope he does eventually do that. But I don't think it's going to turn to civil unrest. I hope not." VARIOUS OF A CUSTOMER IN SHOOTING RANGE WITH A HANDGUN SHOOTING AT TARGET 49. RANGE MARSHALL AND INSTRUCTOR GEROTI MEJIA LOOKING WHILE CUSTOMER IS SHOOTING IN SHOOTING RANGE VARIOUS OF CUSTOMER SHOOTING WITH A RIFLE WITH EMPTY SHELLS FLYING MORE OF RANGE MARSHALL AND INSTRUCTOR GEROTI MEJIA LOOKING WHILE CUSTOMER IS SHOOTING RANGE MARSHALL AND INSTRUCTOR GEROTI MEJIA HELPING A CUSTOMER IN SHOOTING RANGE RANGE MARSHALL AND INSTRUCTOR GEROTI MEJIA SHOOTING AND PUTTING GUN IN HER WAIST SALES ASSOCIATE AT FULL ARMOR FIREARMS MEKHI BARNES HOLDING AR-15 STYLE RIFLE GUN OWNER AND RETIRED MARINE TEANA WALKER EXITING FULL ARMOR FIREARMS WITH AR-15 IN A CASE HANGING FROM HER SHOULDER (SOUNBITE) (English) TEANA WALKER, GUN OWNER AND RETIRED MARINE, SAYING: "I just want to be prepared for whatever changes come, whether it be in the law, whether they're trying to mess with the constitutional rights of the people. I want to be prepared. You know, I want to be prepared. And I'm hoping that they don't make a drastic change in the law, like they're talking about doing because it's going to affect us, in the United States tremendously." VARIOUS OF FULL ARMOR FIREARMS STORE SIGN IN SHOPPING CENTER BILLBOARD VIEW OF HOUSTON DOWNTOWN AREA KINGWOOD, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 25, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF GABRIELA DIAZ, GUN CONTROL ADVOCATE FOR MOMS DEMAND ACTION SEEING THROUGH A WINDOW WITH BIDEN-HARRIS 2020 POSTER GABRIELA DIAZ, GUN CONTROL ADVOCATE FOR MOMS DEMAND ACTION IN FRONT YARD FRONT YARD ARRANGING YARD SIGNS (SOUNBITE) (English) GABRIELA DIAZ, GUN CONTROL ADVOCATE FOR MOMS DEMAND ACTION, SAYING: "My main concern as a mom and as a teacher and volunteer for Moms Demand Action is that I get candidates who are going to vote for gun sense policies." VIEW OF FRONT YARD OF GABRIELA DIAZ'S HOME WITH BIDEN-HARRIS AND LOCAL CANDIDATES YARD SIGNS AND HOME NEXT DOOR WITH MAGA AND TRUMP YARD SIGNS GABRIELA DIAZ, GUN CONTROL ADVOCATE FOR MOMS DEMAND ACTION IN HER FRONT YARD WITH A VIEW OF "TEACHER'S FOR BIDEN HARRIS 2020" POSTER ON A WINDOW BEHIND HER GABRIELA DIAZ, GUN CONTROL ADVOCATE FOR MOMS DEMAND ACTION WEARING A T-SHIRT THAT READS "MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA" (SOUNBITE) (English) GABRIELA DIAZ, GUN CONTROL ADVOCATE FOR MOMS DEMAND ACTION, SAYING: "So when you really sit down with people, with like a good cappuccino, with a good iced tea, I've yet to meet a gun owner who disagrees with me on issues like disarming domestic abusers and having a criminal background check for every gun sale." KATY, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 25, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF GREGORY URDANETA, TRAINING INSTRUCTOR AND CEO FOR PERSONAL PROTECTION COMPANY TARGET ON TRIGGER, AT HIS HOME WITH HIS SONS CLEANING PERSONAL HANDGUNS VIEW OF HANDGUNS AND RIFLES ON A TABLE GREGORY URDANETA, TRAINING INSTRUCTOR AND CEO FOR PERSONAL PROTECTION COMPANY TARGET ON TRIGGER TEACHING HIS SON HOW TO PUT TOGETHER A HANDGUN (SOUNBITE) (English) GREGORY URDANETA, CEO AND TRAINING INSTRUCTOR FOR PERSONAL PROTECTION COMPANY ON TARGET ON TRIGGER, SAYING: "It's every time and risk when we have elections. And that's the first step that the government will do to get the population forced to withdraw their rights for weapons. Because that's the only way we can protect and defend ourselves and defend the constitution, defend our right, defend everything." HOUSTON, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 25, 2020) (REUTERS) INTERIOR OF FULL ARMOR FIREARMS STORE AR-15 STYLE RIFLES DISPLAYED IN STORE SHELF VARIOUS OF HANDGUNS ON TOP OF COUNTER BOXES OF AMMUNITION SIGN ON DOOR AT THE GUN RANGE THAT READS, "GUNS DO NOT MIX WITH DRUGS, ALCOHOL OR POLITICS" EXTERIOR OF THE GUN RANGE SIGN ON DOOR AT THE GUN RANGE THAT READS, "ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK GUNS DO NOT MIX WITH DRUGS, ALCOHOL OR POLITICS. FACE MASKS REQUIRED!" EXTERIOR OF THE GUN RANGE KINGWOOD, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 25, 2020) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF KINGWOOD GUNS STORE "GUNS" SIGN VARIOUS OF GABRIELA DIAZ, GUN CONTROL ADVOCATE FOR MOMS DEMAND ACTION STANDING IN HER FRONT YARD DRINKING COFFEE (SOUNBITE) (Spanish) GABRIELA DIAZ, GUN CONTROL ADVOCATE FOR MOMS DEMAND ACTION, SAYING: "We all think that there are very simple solutions like, criminal background checks. That seems like a very basic step to be able to be safer in this country." HOUSTON, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 25, 2020) (REUTERS) RANGE MARSHALL AND INSTRUCTOR GEROTI MEJIA WORKING IN CASH REGISTER (SOUNBITE) (Spanish) GEROTI MEJIA, RANGE MARSHAL AND INSTRUCTOR, SAYING: "I hope that most people understand and see clearly what will happen if these reforms take place. We run the risk of entering in socialism." RANGE MARSHALL AND INSTRUCTOR GEROTI MEJIA PRINTING RECEIPT (SOUNBITE) (Spanish) RANGE MARSHALL AND INSTRUCTOR, GEROTI MEJIA, SAYING: "They talk about weapons and at once, we get scared. But it's the lack of knowledge to use them properly. So, if you educate yourself, you understand, you respect the weapons, there will be no problem, and you only use them in an emergency." KATY, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 25, 2020) (REUTERS) (SOUNBITE) (Spanish) GREGORY URDANETA, CEO AND TRAINING INSTRUCTOR FOR PERSONAL PROTECTION COMPANY ON TARGET ON TRIGGER, SAYING: "When you pass a law to take away people's rights to own weapons, the only people who will not have weapons are those who follow the law. Those who do not follow the law, which are the thugs, they will have weapons. They will get them on the black market. They (the government) will subdue the people who are following the law." CEO OF TARGET ON TRIGGER AND TRAINING INSTRUCTOR GREGORY URDANETA WITH HIS THREE SONS SITTING IN THE LIVING ROOM
- Embargoed: 13th October 2020 15:03
- Keywords: Full Armor Firearms Houston Moms Demand Action Target on Trigger Texas everytown firearms gun control gun rights guns presidential election 2020 second amendment
- Location: HOUSTON, KATY, KINGWOOD, TEXAS, UNITED STATES
- City: HOUSTON, KATY, KINGWOOD, TEXAS, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Government/Politics,United States,Elections/Voting,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001CXQRAKN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Civil unrest and the upcoming presidential election have Texans scrambling for ammunition and guns.
Teana Walker is a 55-year-old retired Marine and a lifelong Houston resident. Last week, she bought a handgun and an AR-15 style rifle at Full Armor Firearms in Houston.
"I just want to be prepared for whatever changes come, whether it be in the law, whether they're trying to mess with the constitutional rights of the people," Walker told Reuters. "And I'm hoping that they don't make a drastic change in the law, like they're talking about doing because it's going to affect us, in the United States tremendously."
Mekhi Barnes is a sales associate at Full Armor Firearms and believes the conversation goes beyond the right to bear arms.
"I feel like the Second Amendment is so important to a lot of people, because you can't leave your life into somebody else's hands every single time. But you can protect your own," Barnes said.
For gun reform advocates like Gabriella Diaz, an advocate for Moms Demand Action in Houston, the conversation is simple.
"I've yet to meet a gun owner who disagrees with me on issues like disarming domestic abusers and having a criminal background check for every gun sale," she explained.
Moms Demand Action is the Houston chapter for Everytown, a gun violence prevention organization that's investing $8 million in advertising in Texas during the election.
Gregory Urdaneta is from Venezuela and the CEO of Target on Trigger, a personal protection company in Katy, Texas. Two of his three sons are gun owners, while his wife Geroti Mejia works at Full Armor Firearms as a range marshall and instructor. To Urdaneta, the use of firearms is about self-protection and rights.
Urdaneta feels there is a lot at stake in every election and if any gun reforms take place in the near future, responsible gun owners will be affected the most.
"When you pass a law to take away people's rights to own weapons, the only people who will not have weapons are those who follow the law. Those who do not follow the law, which are the thugs, they will have weapons. They will get them on the black market. They (the government) will subdue the people who are following the law," says Urdaneta.
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