Open Carry members stand guard at recruiting center
Members of the Michigan Open Carry group said they would "stand guard" at the Howell Armed Forces Recruiting Center in solidarity for the five slain servicemembers in Chattanooga.
G.R. Dinius of Deerfield Township called the shooting a "travesty" that resulted in the "loss of five great American warriors." Dinius and two others, Webberville's Greg O'Neill and Hamburg Township's Tim Wiggle, stood Wednesday with their weapons outside the recruiting center on Walnut Street in downtown Howell.
"We're here to show the young military, who are all volunteers, we support you and we love you," Dinius, a Vietnam War veteran, said. "Thanks a lot to you warriors. We're proud of you."
Meanwhile, U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Elyssa M. Quesada, marketing and public affairs chief for Marine Corps Recruiting Station Detroit, shared the Marine Corps' statement on the situation: "While we greatly appreciate the support of the American public during this tragedy, we ask that citizens do not stand guard at our recruiting offices.
"Our continued public trust lies among our trained first responders for the safety of the communities where we live and work," she added.
FBI Investigator Ed Reinhold said in a televised press conference Wednesday that the Chattanooga shooting occurred shortly before 11 a.m. July 16 when the shooter, Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez, drove up to the recruitment center and fired shots without getting out of his vehicle. Reinhold said the shooter then drove to a Navy support center where he crashed through a gate.
Reinhold said a servicemember opened fire after the gunman got out of his car carrying an assault rifle, a handgun and numerous magazines of ammunition.
"A servicemember inside the facility saw him and opened fire, firing several rounds," Reinhold said. "He shot into the building."
Reinhold said the shooter entered the building and "made his way throughout the building, continuing to shoot at those he encountered" before running out the back of the building into the motor pool area where he killed two servicemembers. Officers with Chattanooga Police Department killed the gunman as he tried to move into the compound, the FBI investigator said.
When the shooting stopped, Marine Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, Lance Cpl. Squire K. Wells, Staff Sgt. David Wyatt and Sgt. Carson Holmquist were killed in the attack. Navy Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Randall Smith died July 18 from wounds suffered during the shooting, The Associated Press reported.
Since the shootings, lawmakers and elected officials at the national, state and local levels as well as some private citizens suggested it's time to consider changing the military's policy about arming recruiting personnel.
Cpl. J.R. Heins of Recruiting Station Detroit said there are no current plans to arm recruiting personnel.
"The safety of Marines is a top concern of ours, and we will continue to remain vigilant, proactive and unpredictable in order to thwart potential incidents," he noted.
Dinius said "gun-free zones are getting people killed."
"I think it's unfair to put our military personnel in a situation like this," agreed Hamburg Township resident Tim Wiggle, who joined Dinius at the Howell recruiting center. "That's why people died in Chattanooga. They had no defense when that person came in and started shooting."
Jessica Grima, who works for a local insurance agent, believes it's "sad" that someone like herself, who has a license to carry a concealed weapon, can bring "my gun of choice" where she chooses, but doing so is prohibited for military recruiters.
"We're disarming our military, and we really shouldn't be doing that," she said. "If anything, they're the ones who should be able to protect themselves. ... If you're taking guns from law-abiding citizens, then all you're doing is allowing people who don't abide by the law to reek havoc."
Contact Livingston Daily justice reporter Lisa Roose-Church at 517-552-2846 or lrchurch@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @LisaRooseChurch.