What to Know
- One of the pushes is to extend the number of feet a firearm can not be carried near a school to 1,500.
The police chief of a South Florida town is standing by his push to add restrictions to a current law that allows people to openly carry firearms while fishing, hunting and doing other similar activities.
Town of Palm Beach Chief Nicholas Castro addressed the concerns of residents and members of a gun rights advocacy group during a meeting this week, telling NBC affiliate WPTV-TV that it was “irresponsible” for the group Florida Carry Inc. to hold demonstrations at a bridge in the city – where members openly carried their weapons while fishing.
Members of the group at the meeting said they will stand by their right to carry weapons openly.
"All of you officials that have taken an oath, you are failing at your oath and you should be fired," said Michael Taylor, a member of Florida Carry, Inc.
Castro confronted group members during the meeting, saying the demonstrations cause fear when they are so close to schools and churches.
"When you come to the Town of Palm Beach you walk by a public school with your AR-15 out and you have a fishing pole over your shoulder, there's kids playing in the playground," Castro said to Taylor.
Local
One of the pushes is to extend the number of feet a firearm can not be carried near a school to 1,500.
“There's government buildings there, a school almost on every corner of every street in the state of Florida, so how do I get from my place where I stop to go fishing?" said Taylor, adding the group is planning another demonstration in early January.
