LA County Sheriff Closes Gun Stores, San Diego County Sheriff Leaves Them Open

“The city of L.A., for example, they have banned all gun shops, they closed them throughout the duration of this pandemic, and the city of Pasadena is going to follow our standard,” the sheriff said.

[Sheriff Alex] Villanueva expressed concern about first-time gun owners in isolation with others during the shelter-in-place order.

“What we’re trying to discourage is panic gun-buying,” Villanueva said. “You have now a bunch of people who are normally not all crammed into a house confined together, and at some point in time when tempers start flaring, people that are unfamiliar with a new handgun — a new shiny toy — we’re going to expect to see an increase in domestic violence, with tragic results.”

– City News Service in LA County Sheriff Closes Gun Stores in 42 Cities Due to Coronavirus Outbreak

In response to questions about whether gun stores should remain open under a statewide order that has closed nonessential businesses, San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said Tuesday that his department will not force firearm dealers in county jurisdiction to close, at least for now.

Calling their service valuable, Gore asked store operators to follow social distancing rules and find alternative ways to sell guns and ammunition, such as online or by appointment. The key, he said, is to restrict clusters of customers at storefronts.

– David Hernandez in San Diego County sheriff won’t force gun stores to close — at least for now