‘Non-essential’ Tri-Cities gun stores refuse to close under Inslee order

Tri-Cities gun shops are staying open for business despite a statewide stay-at-home order by Gov. Jay Inslee.

Kennewick’s Columbia Gun Rack and West Richland’s Talos Tactical are still busy selling ammunition and firearms, which have been in big demand for at least a month.

A few other gun stores in Washington also are defying the state order, citing a recent memo issued by the federal Department of Homeland Security.

The federal department known as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency sent out a list March 28 of industries necessary to keep the country functioning.

Many of them are familiar, like grocery stores and hospitals, but next to law enforcement and ambulance services, the list includes people making, selling or distributing firearms and ammunition.

Local store owners argue that the federal advisory trumps Gov. Jay Inslee’s order directing all non-essential businesses to shut down as a way to slow the spread of the coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19.

While grocery and hardware stores found themselves exempt from the order, stores that sold just guns and ammunition are not on the essential list, said Mike Faulk with the governor’s office.

State and federal agencies may disagree on how essential gun stores are, but officials from both said the federal order is advisory. The agency said that states, tribes and local governments can make changes to the list however they want.

Gun shop closures

While Columbia Gun Rack General Manager Holly Myers said they considered shutting down, they never did.

West Richland’s Talos Tactical shut down last week, but reopened on Tuesday. Both shops pointed to the federal memo as their reason.

And they said local police told them it was all right.

“We have multiple orders ready to go out to law enforcement agencies, and local law enforcement says we can open as long as we do it responsibly,” Talos wrote on its Facebook page.

The stores already were busy in the days leading up with the governor’s order, and people have been happy to see the shops open.

“People seem to be really supportive about it,” Myers said. “We have had a lot of positive comments.”

Talos Tactical’s Facebook post had nearly 70 comments from people happy with their decision.

The West Richland gun shop listed a series of measures they’re taking to minimize crowding inside their store.

They are allowing just five customers inside at any one time, and asking people to be as prepared for their purchase as much as possible before they walk in.

“We’ll also have strict cleaning and sterilization procedures in place, vetted through a medical professional,” according to the Facebook post. “We will be the best stocked and safest guns store in the Inland Northwest.”

The Columbia Gun Rack’s customers are policing themselves, Myers said. Many of them are coming in prepared rather than browsing. The store also stepped up cleaning and added hand sanitizer.

“Right now, people are coming in with a purpose,” she said. “We don’t have people coming in and looking around. ... People are respecting the fact that they’re not supposed to be out.”

All of the employees working have agreed to be there, and Myers said they are helping employees who have concerns about being around customers.

“Our biggest goal is to keep everyone safe and healthy,” Myers said. “That’s always our number one goal.”

Inslee’s order did not close other larger stores that also sell ammo such as Griggs Department Store in Pasco because they sell other merchandise considered essential.

Education and voluntary compliance

Gun rights’ advocates across the state have been pushing back on the stay-at-home order since it came out last week.

Frequent imitative sponsor and now gubernatorial candidate Tim Eyman called the order “unconstitutional, illegal and stupid.”

At least two gun stores in Western Washington — Wade’s Eastside Guns in Bellevue and Lynnwood Gun and Ammunition — also refused to close.

The governor’s office hasn’t taken any action against the gun stores, saying it hopes that education will result in voluntary compliance.

Last Monday, Inslee said his office had thousands of calls from people concerned about individuals and businesses not complying with the order.

“These people are concerned about their health, the health of others and how the actions of those who willfully violate this order may ultimately drag out the COVID-19 crisis even longer,” he said.

This story was originally published April 4, 2020 at 5:00 AM.