The owner of a gun shop near Atlanta is closing his store due to the burden mass shootings have on his conscience.
Jon Waldman, 43, told NBC that he is closing the business he began two years ago due to recent mass shootings which have targeted children, such as in Uvalde, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee. He is no longer open for business, and all weapons will be cleared out by June 5.
"There’s no guilt about it. I sell to law-abiding citizens," Waldman said, adding, “I’m not against the Second Amendment. But just with my conscience, I can’t sell it, because I don’t know who it’s going to affect and hurt. That’s what eats at me. If it can happen, it’s only a matter of time until it does happen."
He added: “For the last couple of months, you just see kids, over and over again, getting shot. It's kids being randomly shot, and I'm tired of it.”
Waldman also cited a recent mass shooting at a hospital near him in Atlanta as a deciding factor. On May 3, a 24-year-old man killed a woman and wounded four others before being detained.
"This just has to stop. Dude killed a woman from the CDC who only wanted to help others," Waldman said. "So I just can’t. That was the final straws."
Another incident in his own store influenced the decision, as Waldman explained that one man had attempted to purchase 4,000 rounds of ammunition. He said that while 1,000 rounds can be a reasonable amount for those who frequently hunt or engage in practice shooting, four times that amount was questionable.
"If you had ordered 200 to 1,000 rounds, that's fine. Anyone who shoots regularly, you're going through a thousand rounds in a month," he said. "But when you order 4,000 rounds, the kind of stuff that goes through engine blocks, refrigerators and vests that police officers wear, I just can't sell that."
Waldman said he is not in favor of broader restrictions on firearms, but rather that he wants to advocate for gun safety and training, explaining: "I am more of a training and learning advocate. ... You should be able to safely have one."
Founder of gun violence prevention group Moms Demand Action Shannon Watts praised Waldman for his decision, noting that she wishes his attitude was more prevalent among those on the right.
"This moral character being displayed by this one Georgia man — prioritizing children’s lives over gun-related profits — is sorely needed among right-wing Republican lawmakers in America," she said.
