Despite Several Calls To Postpone, This Weekend's OC Gun Show Will Go On
COSTA MESA (CBSLA) — Not one week after the mass shooting in Las Vegas a major gun show is set for this weekend in Orange County at the Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.
Crossroads Gun Show has been planned for months, but some are saying it's too soon for an event focused on firearms.
Throughout the day vendors have been bringing in all sorts of firearms, ammunition and accessories. Two large hangars will be filled with booths. It is billed as the largest gun show in the state.
The show's owner says he did consider postponing the event but the show will go on.
As sympathetic as Bob Templeton says he is to the nation's grief, and despite getting several calls asking him to postpone his annual gun show will go ahead as planned.
Templeton says this is where law-abiding citizens come to exercise their second amendment rights. "There's a disconnect between the horrific events that happened in Las Vegas and what happens here," he added.
Before this week Templeton says he'd never even heard the term "bump stock" a device the Las Vegas shooter reportedly used to make his rifles fire like fully automatic weapons. Templeton says that kind of device won't be sold at his event.
"Perhaps Congress should consider legislation that would regulate, restrict or somehow control access to devices like this," Templeton said.
But other gun owners are reluctant to support any more regulation, even of something like the bump stock. Ken Karelius is working this weekend's show knowing emotions are running high.
"Is it necessary to have something like that? In my opinion no, but then again, I am not for the continued... hammering of control from the left or from the liberals."
Former LAPD officer Ron Weaver straddles the debate maybe more than anyone. He'll have a booth this weekend right next to gun sellers, offering a line of active shooter personal protection.
"Here's a ballistic plate in the flap and a ballistic flap in the body itself, they overlap so they give you full coverage," Weaver said. "Now we're seeing that, as a civilian it doesn't matter where you're at anymore, I mean movies, anywhere there's a group of people, it's a target.
There's another Crossroads Gun Show scheduled for Las Vegas in a few weeks, Templeton says it is very likely that show will be postponed to be sensitive to the atmosphere there.