Concealed Carry Permit Holder Arrested for Bringing Gun to Hockey Game

2nd Amendment – R2KBA Authors S.H. Blannelberry This Week

A concealed carry permit holder was arrested Wednesday night at a Tampa Bay Lightening game after it was discovered that he had brought a firearm into the arena.

After confiscating his handgun and removing 27-year-old Lucas Cassidy from the game, police charged him with a second degree misdemeanor for bringing his sidearm into a place that prohibits firearms.

Police told local news affiliate 10 News that Cassidy, a St. Petersburg resident, would have been slapped with a felony charge were he not a permit holder.

The firearm was discovered by a fellow fan who witnessed Cassidy dropping the gun in the bathroom. A spokesperson for the Lightning said his team was investigating the matter to see how Cassidy got through security with the concealed weapon.

As a reminder to Florida residents, here are the gun-free zones across the state courtesy of usacarry.com:

  • Any place of nuisance as defined in s. 823.05
  • Any police, sheriff, or highway patrol station
  • Any detention facility, prison, or jail; any courthouse
  • Any courtroom
  • Any polling place
  • Any meeting of the governing body of a county, public school district, municipality, or special district
  • Any meeting of the Legislature or a committee thereof
  • Any school, college, or professional athletic event not related to firearms
  • Any school administration building
  • Any portion of an establishment licensed to dispense alcoholic beverages for consumption
  • Any elementary or secondary school facility
  • Any area technical center
  • Any college or university facility
  • Inside the passenger terminal and sterile area of any airport
  • Any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by federal laws

The incident caught the attention of Ladd Everitt from the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence who chided the fan for carrying in a crowded environment.

“Scary,” said Ladd in an email to GunsAmerica. “I’m glad no one was hurt.”

“The image of this guy working his way through the bathroom line, dropping the gun, and fumbling to pick it up in that type of crowded environment says it all,” Everitt continued. “As a big hockey fan myself, I understand what playoff games are like. Lots of beer, passions running high, and frequent altercations between fans of opposing teams. It’s certainly no place to be playing cowboy.”

The right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right. No doubt about it. As is the right to self defense. However, in this particular case, the property rights of the owners of the Tampa Bay Lightning trump one’s Second Amendment rights. If Mr. Cassidy cannot abide by the rules set forth by the Lightning ownership, then he shouldn’t be attending games.  Plain and simple.

Personally, there are a lot of places I choose not to frequent because of their anti-gun policies. Movie theaters, for example. I can’t remember the last time I went to go see a movie in a theater. Even before the shooting in Aurora, I never liked the idea of being seated in a crowded, dark room with a bunch of strangers. Perhaps I’m overly cautious or maybe even a bit paranoid, but that’s just one place I don’t feel comfortable going, particularly unarmed.

What about you, how do you see this situation? Are there places or events you forgo because they are gun-free zones?

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  • john April 24, 2018, 10:56 pm

    I conceal carry in Nevada. We have our share of gun free zones, but most of them are not protected by the force of law. The only ones protected by the law are schools, government buildings and the airport.
    Normal businesses sometimes have “no weapon” signs on the doors, but I routinely ignore the signs and carry anyways. My as* is way more important than some gun free zone crap and if someone sees, that I am carrying, then all they can do is ask me to leave.

  • Randolph W. Haus January 6, 2017, 7:12 pm

    As long as there aren’t metal detectors, my absolute right of self defense trumps any notion of a property holders ‘right’ to prohibit people from being able to protect themselves. You would think that we would all know better after the Pulse nightclub tragedy. One sensible and sober armed person in that nightclub who had the good sense to ignore their silly rule could have kept the massacre from becoming as horrifically large as it was. I carry everywhere because I am a sheepdog, not a sheep to be slaughtered. I make no apologies for this. If there is a metal detector then it is a no-go situation for me. As an aside, if the man who got arrested was carrying his firearm in such an unsecure way as to have it fall out then shame on him.

  • Jerry L. Hardy January 6, 2017, 8:28 am

    Having been a longtime advocate of voting with my dollar, my wife and I both avoid and refuse to spend our dollars at any venue that prohibits our concealed carry. This has led to not attending several venues that we have interest in, including boat shows, gun shows, retail stores, restaurants, etc.
    Recently in our small town, a group traveled through and handed out the proper signage, as outlined by Texas law,to prohibit both concealed and open carry. Having been born and raised in this town, I contacted each owner, expressing my dismay and concern. Afterwards, 1/2 of these merchants began removing the signs noting the loss of business. Those that chose to keep their signage up are continuing to lose business.

  • Jay Warren Clark May 14, 2015, 2:08 pm

    “The Wild West” was defined by the behavior of people who were without laws–which behavior may not have been as bad as we hear–especially after the advent of legitimate law enforcement. That said, we are not the wild west and those who say it will be the wild west all over again if we are all able to carry arms are just involved in fallacious argumentation in full flight from the facts, and any high thinking. It is not the weapon but our behavior that is the critical thing and with rare exceptions Americans are very restrained in their carrying and use of firearms. This is a fact, and those of us who were raised with guns in the house know that.
    On the other hand, unarmed we are at the mercy of criminals–and they, the criminals, know it. Though it should be made very very clear that this is not the primary argument for a Second Amendment. The Second is about protecting the sacred right of the First; it is a (secondary and instrumental) means to a primary Natural Right: to have and to express (if we so choose) what we have in our heart and mind, i.e., a free conscience. Man is defined, as we learned in school, by his consciousness, by his conscience, and when he is not allowed to have and to express that he is, by definition, no longer MAN. It is pretty simple really. Thus, the Second Amendment protects and preserves our very nature as human, our humanity.
    Over against this, to be robbed is a trivial thing–hell, give the poor schmuck your wallet; get another one; you may be mad but you will loose nothing essential. But to lose our ability to speak our mind is to have lost the whole thing.
    So, if the stadium wants our money, make sure it is the money of a human being whose nature is respected. It is clear, however, that they want more than your money, they want a pleasure oriented animal, a mere beast without a conscience. I say, set them have all of the monkeys they want, but don’t give them your money–not if you have a higher opinion of yourself, eh, not if you have any self respect left? JWC

    • Bill December 19, 2015, 4:43 pm

      Your argument is strong and takes both the moral and ethical high ground. I applaud you, sir.

      To give up what is mine … the fruit of my striving … is a serious and grievous thing. The moments of my life tick away and none can be recalled or restored. Such loss is forever … but does not undo us entirely as similar small losses will unavoidably dot our lives from time to time and yet our being continues … reduced, but not exhausted. With such loss, we can contend, knowing that, though death is our end, it is not yet: we shall survive this loss.

      To give up what is me … the core of my being … is a fatal giving and never to be countenanced, no matter the price to defend it. For if we are not willing to defend it to our final exhalation, it is lost to us already.

      Thanks for reminding me of that. Sometimes we get caught up the the trivia of defending the Second Amendment and lose sight of the longer view and the reason it exists to begin with. It is less of a defense against a tyrannical government than it is a defense against all tyrannies however sourced … government merely being the 800 pound gorilla in a room full of snarling chihuahuas.

  • William Thornburg May 12, 2015, 12:42 am

    Criminals do not adhere to gun-free zones. Why should law abiding citizens not be authorized having guns anywhere? Especially in schools, movies and any other unsafe sanctities. The gentleman who dropped his weapon should be made to clean and polish it three times daily for at least six months. The weak minded gentleman who reported the drop should inspect the gun for dirt and make his reports accordingly. For those who have never dropped a gun, I question your facts and advice.

    • Bill December 19, 2015, 4:29 pm

      I agree … dropping a gun is part of the education about what level of retention you need. NOBODY wants to drop his gun ANYWHERE … the darned things are expensive and useless if broken by being tossed around … but I doubt the veracity of anyone who has concealed carried more or less full time for at least a full year and yet claims to have never dropped his firearm.

      I’m pretty conscientious … but launched mine several times getting used to carrying it. Fortunately I have a manual safety, a heavy trigger and was initially wary about carrying with a round in the chamber. I haven’t launched it in a couple years now because I figured out what launched it in those first few months. Even when I was the only person around, it was still disconcerting and an embarrassment because, as a former machinist and die-maker, I realize that safety devices fail. Not often, but they do fail. I also took responsibility for controlling my firearm pretty seriously.

      Can I be certain that I will never again drop my pistol?
      No.
      Nobody can make that statement with anything approaching soundness of mind. Am I alert to the circumstances that caused me to drop it initially and do I take steps to prevent dropping it again? You betcha! Will I find new ways to drop it? I certainly hope not … but I’ve learned that the word “never” should only seldom be used in speaking about firearms. You can be as serious as you want to about things, but you can never guarantee that you will never make a mistake or never knowingly violate the cardinal rules.

  • Randy May 11, 2015, 8:28 pm

    I carry where I want (yes Starbucks for spite) just no courthouse and such. That’s why a super secure holster is a must. If you can stand on your head or run and it not stay put get a better holster

  • Joe May 11, 2015, 7:24 pm

    So i’m guessing he couldn’t carry it in the grey bar hotel either..

  • Alan May 11, 2015, 5:08 pm

    I carry everywhere. Almost !CONCELLED. use common sense.

  • Yellowdog11 May 11, 2015, 3:09 pm

    I’m sure this will raise the ire of some but if you are a permit holder and no one is screening you when you enter the premises with metal detectors or pat downs, just do as you normally would. No stupid sign is worth dying over. But concealed means concealed and loose / insecure carry that would allow your weapon to fall to the floor is just asking for trouble from over zealous cops and anti gunners. That is one of several reasons why I will only carry in a holster that has some kind of active retention.

    • Captain Bob July 22, 2016, 1:07 pm

      We, here in Ohio, are extremely fortunate in that (other than the “forbidden zones of schools, law enforcement and gov’t buildings, churches) we can carry anywhere on other’s private property (stores, doctor’s offices, car lots, movie theaters, etc.) provided there is not a sign posted prohibiting so. The cool thing is that posting a sign is merely a REQUEST by a private property owner to not carry and non-compliance is a minor misdemeanor for trespassing but ONLY if you are discovered and refuse to leave. What his means is, if you don’t see the sign, enter with your defensive firearm and are discovered, and then refuse to leave you are subject to arrest BUT if you comply when discovered there is “no harm/no foul” if you then leave. So, simply DON’T SEE THE SIGN and carry! I NEVER see those pesky signs. I have been know to walk in backwards, opening a door that had a huge sign in the middle because I “was checking to see if my car’s alarm was set with my remote key fob” (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it). And, the best part is that I have never been discovered and, as such, never been asked to leave because my gun is concealed as it should be. Best part, I am not defenseless, as it should be in a free country.
      Check your state’s laws and see if this could be applicable where you live.

  • DaveGinOly May 11, 2015, 12:52 pm

    Gun laws set standards for who can carry. The state certifies that someone meets the standards and issues that person a permit to carry concealed. Then the state creates a list of places where the person they certified as competent to carry shouldn’t be allowed to go for fear of what might happen because he’s carrying a gun. What’s wrong with this picture? If the state doesn’t trust the licensee to have good judgment at all times (no matter where he is), why does the state issue a permit to that person?
    “Gun free zones” are nothing but minefields for licensed and otherwise law-abiding carriers to step into. They do not make the public safer, nor do they prevent a firearms owner from becoming more dangerous than he is otherwise inclined to be, and they give the public a false sense of security.

  • Doc Loch May 11, 2015, 12:06 pm

    It’s simple. We honor property rights, but put the responsibiltiy on the property owner. If I go to your home, and you allow me to and let me know I need to be responsible for my own safety, it is my own responsiblity, and your are not culpable. If on the other hand you do not allow me this ability you have then taken it upon yourself to be the responsible party. If I am harmed on your property, and you have denied me the ability to be responsible in any way I see fit, then you are the one who has to pay for all consequences arising out of any damage you denied me the ability to take care of on my own. It’s really that simple.

  • steven bsuh May 11, 2015, 11:52 am

    Let’s repeal all laws except the Constitution. Legalize everything else. Let everyone have the right to practice Law. Take the privately owned Federal Reserve over. Export all illegal aliens. Put Bankers in jail where they belong.
    The right to carry a firearm is my right. Not the right for some idiot to tell me I can’t.

    Steven

    • Captain Bob July 22, 2016, 1:12 pm

      Great idea and Hillary would go one step further and repeal the Constitution. Then she would enact her own set of “rules” by Executive Order and we would all be worker bees toiling for the gov’t, handing over our income and getting back what the gov’t feels we NEED after taking the bulk to give to the welfare recipients who remain gov’t dependent as the Democrats want because then they will get their vote to continue this cycle.

  • bwone May 11, 2015, 11:22 am

    What Florida law and many other states’ laws fail to take into consideration is that permit holders are not primarily carrying a firearm into an arena because they think it will necessarily wise to discharge a firearm in a crowded place. What people fail to realize is that the journey to and from the arena to their cars is potentially dangerous.

    • Bill December 19, 2015, 4:02 pm

      The law, generally speaking, doesn’t care … the laws were never about safety — particularly not about yours.

      In NC you can now leave your firearm locked in your locked vehicle (locked door + locked storage box) on company or school property because our legislators have realized that it was wrong to disarm you at your door simply because you need to pick up a child on the way home from work.

      You can place the firearm in the box after parking in the restricted location and re-arm yourself immediately prior to leaving the property. While you are in the building you must be disarmed … that still sucks, but the law is easing up a notch at a time so I can deal with the remaining restrictions just so long as the trend keeps getting more in tune with the Constitution.

      Cuts down on the campus rapes, too.

  • Bill May 11, 2015, 10:38 am

    Had the guy been properly carrying his gun with a holster, the gun would have never fallen out and we wouldn’t be talking about this now. If you’re going to carry concealed, do it right or don’t do it! If they aren’t screening for guns, the bad guys can get them in too. The good guys should be armed if the bad guys can! If you want to be considered a good guy, keep your gun properly concealed and it won’t be an issue! Unless they secure the “gun free zone” properly and offer adequate armed security by police, nobody should be forced to give up their 2nd amendment rights. Bad guys will kill you in a gun free zone if it isn’t enforced, that’s what they do! If you end up using your gun to stop a bad guy in a gun free zone, who cares if it’s illegal, you just saved your life and the lives of others by stopping him! What really needs to be made illegal are gun free zones that are not secured, actively screened with metal detectors, and adequately protected by uniformed police officers there to protect the disarmed! Don’t be a sitting duck, ever!

    • Bill December 19, 2015, 3:55 pm

      I agree … post that little 2×2″ sign on even a single door in your business and you carry the full liability, including criminal liability, for whatever happens within your doors.

      Scrape that little sign off the door, and the liability level drops back to where it was before … not much beyond calling for help / medical assistance whenever it becomes safe to do so.

  • nmgene May 11, 2015, 10:35 am

    I will not enter any place that does not allow concealed carry. They are violating my constitutional rights and will never get any of my money. And it must be posted on the entry door to be legal even though the law is illegal!!!!!This is why I no longer live in Calif. I have carried since 1971 and have never shot anyone but have stopped crimes in progress just because I had my gun with me. Federal courts have ruled that if a leo tries to arrest you on an illegal charge that you have the right to resist with what ever force nessasary!!!!!! But with the lower standards for police we are all in trouble !!!!!!!!

    • Darnell Patillo May 12, 2015, 1:20 am

      I would not Resist a LEO if I were you.With any force at hand, you my friend are not using or speaking good judgement. You have stopped crime in progress.I have owned guns for over 45 years,and when I read a statement like yours I get worried, and just a little scared. I have a nephew and a cousin who want to know about these lower standards of which you speak.I live in the metro Atlanta area and have a CCW but I don,t even think about carrying a weapon to a concert, or football or any athletic event, because I know better.I am not looking to be a crime stopper, Ten years ago none of this came up, you went about your way no problem.Now, because we can get a permit every time I go outside my home I need to be armed.Two things I have seen in my lifetime, a gun will make a person stay ,when they should go, speak when you should be quiet,and most of all ,get in where we don’t fit in. I can not imagine not going to the movies because I can not go armed into the theater, I will not let one nut case rule my life.

      • Nick May 17, 2015, 1:17 pm

        …unless that “one nutcase” shoots you while you are unarmed…

      • Dr. M.E. Jackson February 29, 2016, 1:17 pm

        I used to think just like you until my son, the cop, chastised me. He said I was a lazy, fair weather CCW guy and admonished me to stop it. All of the great firearms in the world will never be of help unless you have it with you. This isn’t about being a cowboy or stopping crime. It’s about being a parent, grandpa and good neighbor and carrying life insurance with me as often as is reasonably possible. Our country has changed and we see the results of the intellectually lazy every day on the news. With the decline of the family and the cancerous growth of big government half of our population has no ethos to live by and cannot be trusted in word or deed. I do not wish to ever have to shot at a bad guy. That being said, I am also not interested in looking in the mirror the morning after people around me are killed by a lunatic and I was no help because my gun was in the truck. Remember the poor lady chiropractor that went to lunch with her mom and dad at Lubby’s Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas. She left her pistol in the car and 20 minutes later a gunman stood 6 feet in front of her and killed her mom and dad and a bunch of other people.

    • Captain Bob July 22, 2016, 1:28 pm

      mmgene: I agreed with your first 4 sentences but was shocked at your fifth. NEVER, under any circumstances resist even false arrest. This is what is causing today’s headlines where “innocent” people are shot by the police. Comply and all will be straightened out later. It may be humiliating but it’s better than the alternative of being dead or arrested for killing a LEO. Plus, I strongly disagree with your statement that “Federal courts have ruled that if a [LEO] tries to arrest you on an illegal charge that you have the right to resist with what ever force [necessary].” I would love to see where you found even one ruling like that. Believing this will get you into a world of hurt and trouble. Please be one of “us good guys” and support Law Enforcement with the tough job that they need to do, even if they are in error at the time.

  • Vertie E. Bolyard May 11, 2015, 9:50 am

    I’am Gun Dealer since 1960. If one has right to carry and is doing so without crimial intent, then it should be legal any where, and time. We are putting the crimial on notice it is ok to do your thing with out fear when they known there is only the law to worry about.

    Vertie E. Bolyard

    • DaveGinOly May 11, 2015, 12:58 pm

      “It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition he may abuse it.”
      George Washington
      I might add that it would also be an “unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition” that someone else may abuse his own liberty.

  • Patrick May 11, 2015, 9:31 am

    I agree that the guy made a poor decision carrying his otherwise legal gun where the law prohibits it. Now he’s screwed. I don’t know about Florida, but in the commie state of NY where I live, just the arrest would result in the loss of my license and the confiscation of all my guns, including long arms. And even if I weren’t convicted, getting everything back would be hell and would cost a fortune. That said, the concept of “gun-free zones’ is ludicrous. The moron, Everitt, might live to regret that such laws exist if the next illegally gun he encounters is carried by an actual criminal because all of the law-abiding citizens there will be sitting ducks.

  • e holder May 11, 2015, 8:11 am

    If they don’t have a metal detector set up, and they’re not frisking people, why are you not bringing in your concealed gun? I presume you would not be dumb enough to drop it on the floor in front of everybody…..

    • Darlene June 1, 2015, 11:32 am

      I carry my S&W Bodyguard everywhere and no one knows I am carrying. I don’t go around telling people I carry and my holster would never let my gun fall on the floor in a bathroom. I have seen on tv recently that Target doesn’t like woman to carry in their stores anymore? How do they know we are carrying? And if they can detect them at the door why don’t they confront us and ask us to leave them in our car??. Simple enough?!? Can’t remember what Walmart said about it, but I have always taken my gun to Target. Many years ago , before I carried, I was in a drugstore right up near the register when it was being robbed. I had no idea that the robber had a gun in this clerks face two feet away from me because I was looking at wrapping paper on a rack with my back to them. When the robber left with the money the clerk screamed and my legs were shaking like mad. My son was with me and I couldn’t believe we were so close to such a violent act. My only fear now is not getting my gun out fast enough if I need to, but I won’t be a victim if I can help it….
      As far as traveling with my guns, my son and I recently took a trip down to Nashville, Memphis, and down to New Orleans. Before I left I made sure of the laws of each state and especially the states we only drove through in case we got stopped. I always want to be a law abiding citizen no matter where I go. I do love my guns and they will have to pry them from my COLD DEAD HANDS. HA!

      • Bill December 19, 2015, 3:49 pm

        It is WalMart policy to abide by the local laws regarding carry and not to impose additional restrictions on their customers. Kroger and a few other stores have the same policy. Whenever more or less convenient, I patronize business establishments with this policy. To find out which store have this policy, check out Everytown to see who they are “boycotting” this week, then patronize that store and, when appropriate, let the manager know why you are in his store and not the one across the street.

      • john April 24, 2018, 11:10 pm

        I also have a S&W .380, which I carry in my right pants pocket. Lightweight and you can’t tell it is there.
        I never go to target, but shop walmart most of the time and armed.
        Gun is so lightweight, I forget it is there.

  • Vernon Rosa May 11, 2015, 7:48 am

    I have a Georgia CWP that is good in Florida due to reciprocity, but there are some differences in GA and FL laws as to where I can carry when I am in those respective states. I don’t agree with some of the locations I am not permitted to carry my firearm, but I do respect the laws of the state I am in. One thing I don’t do though, is drop my firearm in public bathrooms! What an imbecile. I don’t know what he was carrying, but he certainly should reconsider whatever kind of holster he has that allows the weapon to fall free.

  • JiminGa May 11, 2015, 6:48 am

    The article stops short of describing the penalty involved. In GA the law says the offender can be asked to leave and upon refusal can be charged with trespass. If FL law allows arrest what is the charge?

    • Bill December 19, 2015, 3:45 pm

      It DOES mention that it was treated as a misdemeanor. He was carrying in a prohibited location … it wasn’t simply a matter of management policy (although the decision to call the cops certainly calls for a certain amount of judgment call).

  • Skip May 11, 2015, 6:45 am

    What part of “concealed carry” did this idiot at the hockey game not understand? Concealed… : to hide (something or someone) from sight: to keep (something) secret. He should have been charged with a felony and lost his right to carry period… STUPID!

    • Gunner in Missouri May 11, 2015, 10:55 am

      Do I smell a gun hating liberal here? Granted the CCW holder was negligent, maybe stupid, and definitely not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but to be arrested for a felony, uh uh. I can even see a certain restriction placed on his CCW permit for a while, but you are too rabid in your zeal for punishment for my taste. Again, I get the feeling that you are a gun hater.

    • B December 19, 2015, 3:43 pm

      Ever sit down on the throne and have your pistol un-holster itself? I carry IWB and it has happened a couple times … totally sober … in the restroom of the local Lowes lumberyard / hardware. They have lower than normal toilets and “the angle of the dangle” is too much for my method of carry.
      @ Todd Jaffe
      You don’t have to be drunk or stupid to have this happen … just not aware of the perils of low stools. Now, I’ve learned to draw my pistol and hang it on the coat hook if one is provided, sit it on the toilet paper dispenser, tank lid or other safe surface or tuck it into a pocket if I am wearing a jacket. But not before having it “launch” a couple of times while I figured out that the first launch wasn’t just a fluke.

      According to the laws regarding such, he should not have been armed in that place at all. I sometimes carry where I ought not … sometimes by accident (before our laws changed, I carried into a couple restaurants serving alcohol because I was A) new in town and B) already seated before I noticed that they served booze) and sometimes because I adjudge the risk of getting caught with it lower than the risk of getting caught without it and am willing to face the legal repercussions if I am wrong in my estimation.

      Yes … that is an acknowledgement that I sometimes break the law. So do you. That doesn’t make what I do acceptable to a judge, but it does mean that you don’t get to criticize me.

      I don’t see where in the story it said that he was intoxicated, so I don’t think comments alluding to a state of inebriation on his part are justified.

      He made a mistake. Some “nervous Nelly” called the cops. The cops did the LEAST they could do … which tells us something about their estimation of the seriousness of his actions.

  • Todd Jaffe May 11, 2015, 6:14 am

    I don’t go anywhere alcohol is served with abandon anymore. First the number of shirts I have had to wash beer smell out of because someone spilled and the number of people who drink too much and are willing to start a fight increases. I also try to only go where concealed carry is allowed or violence is completely unexpected. It is obvious the man was not fully sober nor fully in control of his weapon at all times, that is a clear picture of the people who give gun owners a bad name. I believe that other than courtrooms or police stations or legislative meetings there should be no place a CWP holder should not be allowed to carry concealed. Two provisions, if that holder exposes that weapon in a place where it might create fear, he should be fined or arrested and if he drinks alcohol and exceeds 0.06 (that allows 1 drink nursed over a 2 hour period) or is intoxicated by any other substance. Concealed carry is a privilege, gun ownership is a right. That privilege carries with it common sense and respect for others, not bravado.

    • e holder May 11, 2015, 8:13 am

      You are going to the WRONG “drinking places!”

    • Patrick May 11, 2015, 9:36 am

      Todd Jaffe — Concealed carry is not a “privilege.” Have another look at the Second Amendment and the word “infringe.”

      • Captain Bob July 22, 2016, 1:57 pm

        Patrick: I disagree. The right to self-defense is a God-given right. The ability to bear and use firearms to accomplish that defense is a right granted by our 2nd Amendment (which can be repealed). To carry these firearms “concealed” is a privilege granted by the states and this privilege can be restricted per each state’s laws (don’t like your state’s laws, move to another).
        Kalifornia, just this week, has said that there is no guaranteed right to carry concealed (“may issue” CCW licenses) AND had previously said that “open carry” is illegal. Effectively, they have “infringed” on the Constitutionally-granted right to “bear” arms granted by the 2nd Amendment and they now have no legal way to carry guns unless their County Sheriff allows them to, at his/her discretion or whim.
        Remember that the Supreme Court decisions (Heller and McDonald) that affirmed that the 2nd Amendment granted an “Individual” right (as opposed to an organized militia) to bear arms outside the home was a 5-4 decision. Right now, with Scalia’s death, there are 8 Justices and 1 vacancy. They are split 4-4 on your gun rights. Whoever becomes President in January, 2017 will appoint a 9th Justice. Do the math. We are an election away from losing what gun-bearing rights we have now. If Trump wins, we are safe. If Hillary wins, we are lost. We MUST vote for Trump, even if you don’t like him, because any vote not for him is a vote for Hillary. Explain this to your friends and family who plan to do write-in votes for someone other than Trump. You must not help Hillary by voting for a third-party candidate. it’s proven that this tactic loses elections.
        And, for you folks who say, “they won’t get MY guns unless they pry them from my cold, dead fingers, etc.” while I agree with that remember, if guns are made illegal, you won’t be able to ENJOY them or legally use them for self_defense (think England or Australia) or hand them down to your heirs. The way to win this gun issue is to have the LAWS on our side and then we can own and use our guns as free men and women the way the Founding Fathers intended.

  • Carryon May 9, 2015, 8:30 am

    If I understood the article, and what I remember from the last visit to Florida, it wasn’t really a property rights issue. Florida state law prohibits firearms at athletic events. I tend to avoid businesses that restrict carry, but if you accept the responsibility for being armed you need to know the law. Even if I don’t agree with the law, I have to follow it if I want to be a law-abiding gun owner. There are other states that prohibit carrying at large public events. At least he was charged with a misdemeanor not a felony.

  • But really tho . . . May 9, 2015, 12:00 am

    Can we not drop our concealed carry firearms? in bathrooms? please . . . DOOH!!

    • Bill December 19, 2015, 3:22 pm

      Coat hook through the trigger guard. Problem solved. 😉

  • Will Drider May 8, 2015, 10:16 pm

    The list is not complete or accurate.
    Add: All Post Office Facilities including buildings and all property including parking lots.
    All Federal Facilities rented, leased or owned by the Government.
    All Military Bases.
    Correction: A person with a CWP may carry in establishments that serve food and beer/wine/liquor. You can not be in the area, but can be in the main tabled dining area. These Business normally have a 50/50 liquor license meaning at least half of their revenue must come from food sales. Peanuts and a jar of boiled eggs behind the bar don’t qualify.

    • DaveGinOly May 11, 2015, 12:42 pm

      The author presented a list that is peculiar to Florida. Every place you cited is “gun-free” under federal law, so applicable in every state.

    • renny seymour May 25, 2015, 10:14 am

      The base commander decides whether firearms can be brought onto base. OK on some others not.

    • Captain Bob July 22, 2016, 2:05 pm

      Will: Be sure you understand that every state has different laws that allow or prohibit CC in various places and they vary wildly. Be careful to qualify that what you are saying about state laws applies to ______ (fill in your state’s name) and may, or may niot apply to everyone’s. Some states actually allow you to carry into a bar and drink so long as you don’t exceed the limit for driving while others prohibit even stepping foot into a restaurant that serves alcohol. Best advice to give is to tell people to check the laws of THEIR OWN state. If they have trouble interpreting these laws, every state has organizations that support gun-owners and will help with this.

    • john April 24, 2018, 11:14 pm

      All states are different. In Nevada I can carry in any place that sells alcohol. My blood alcohol level cannot exceed .10 while carrying.
      I don’t drink alcohol at all, so i am not concerned about being drunk.

  • Justin Opinion May 8, 2015, 4:44 pm

    How do we reconcile “it’s their business property and therefore their right to disallow the legal carry of firearms”, with “you must bake a cake for whomever wants it, or sell flowers to whomever asks for them.”? Anyone else see a double standard here? I agree with the author in going out of my way to avoid “gun free zones” – but at some point this “check your civil and constitutional rights at the door” double standard for permit holders needs to be addressed.

  • DRAINO May 8, 2015, 12:46 pm

    Yes, the hypocrisy abounds!!….gun free zones….like gun shows…..what??!! I know right? If it’s a public place, you should be able to carry. Even if you have to pay to get in….if the general public can get in…..should be good to carry, period. If you don’t want people to carry on your property, the general public shouldn’t be able to get access(Even buying tickets available to the general public), then make your own rules. Just a barrel with fish for criminals to shoot. Yes, I avoid any place that doesn’t allow CC. You ask me, a hockey game is a place that I may need to defend myself from rowdy drunkards who get out of control. In Morons own words….”Lots of beer, passions running high, and frequent altercations between fans of opposing teams.” the exact place a non-alcohol drinker like me may need to defend myself and family. I guarantee if everyone knew that CC was allowed, they may think a little differently before letting their passions get the best of them. Your passion doesn’t trump my right to feel safe in public. We have taken the consequences away for people acting stupid! Yes, I believe in natural selection!!! Thats’s why our wonderful country has been on the decline. Too many stupid people. I will get off the soap box now. somebody else’s turn….lol.

    • BR549 May 11, 2015, 9:31 am

      Of course the one thing that femtard reactionaries like Allison are clueless to understand (or report) is where a permit holder with a gun is able to drop a criminal attempting to kill other people. Instead, it’s always. this, “Oh, did you see that scary gun” nonsense.

      Not sure why he would have taken a firearm there, especially if it had been posted, but I’ll bet the reporters had all voted for Obama. Whaddya wanna bet?

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