A former Marine attempting to open a second gun shop in Arlington, Virginia, has canceled his plans amid community protest and outrage, which he said has been fueled by anti-gun activist Michael Bloomberg.
“When news of our planned location in Arlington became public, there were some local critics; however they enjoyed outsized influence when anti-civil rights campaigns backed by billionaire Michael Bloomberg picked up their cause,” James Gates wrote in a statement obtained by The Washington Times. “Make no mistake, whether it is billionaire Michael Bloomberg or a few local critics, an attack on a gun dealer like ourselves is an attack on the Second Amendment.
“Those who wish to ban gun shops also wish to ban private ownership of firearms,” he said. “When the opponents of gun ownership fail at the ballot box, they resort to social pressure and interference with the private business of others.”
Mr. Gates, 28, said his landlord pulled his lease from the strip-mall location in Arlington, but that he has plans to open another shop in McLean, where his current shop, NOVA Firearms, resides.
“We are saddened by this setback [but] we will not let this stop our goal of expanding,” Mr. Gates told The Times.
• Kelly Riddell can be reached at kriddell@washingtontimes.com.
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