Gun Dealer Says New Board Hurting Businesses and Citizens

Gun dealer Abner Murillo pointed to the recent Tropic Air hijacking as proof that licensed firearm holders can help stop dangerous situations. He highlighted the role of a passenger with a licensed weapon who helped prevent the incident from escalating. Murillo says he’s not alone in his frustration with the current licensing system; many others feel the same way. But according to him, most people are afraid to speak out, worried they’ll be targeted or face backlash for voicing their concerns.

 

Abner Murillo, Owner, Lock N’ Loaded

“We just had a plane hijacking. When that plane landed, the person with the knife could have killed that pilot. What stopped that pilot from being killed, the guy that hand a license weapon. The girl right down here whose child was being abducted, what stopped that from happening, the person had a licensed weapon. The way to stop evil is to give people a licensed weapon, simple as that. I think the Minister of Home Affairs is doing an amazing job. I have the utmost respect for Kareem Musa. I think he is doing an amazing job. I was very disappointed in his comments that he does not care about the gun dealers, because it is not just the gun dealers. We are talking about all the citizens in Belize, the farmers that are losing livestock. So, I think he did not think through or that he meant it. But all the dealers were hurt by it and not just the dealers, the people, because it trickles down. I have the utmost faith they will do the right thing. But this board is not working. The system they have now is not working and people are frustrated, but the problem is that people don’t want to speak up. Every day you have three, four, five people come into my store complaining. But why don’t they speak up?”