MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — A gun shop in Menomonee Falls is at the center of a controversy between two school board candidates, and community members concerned about Shepard Arms as the choice of venue.
Over a dozen protesters gathered outside the downtown shop Saturday morning to voice their objection to two of the area’s school board candidates campaigning inside Shepard Arms ahead of the April election.
“Kids safety is a priority in schools, and this just sends the wrong message,” protester Conor Olson said. “I know you want to get your name out there, advocate for your platform, but this isn’t the way.”
Steven Schwarz, an employee with Shepard Arms said it wasn’t the candidates Adam Sachs and incumbent Chris Stueland, who chose the location.
Check out: Menomonee Falls gun shop draws protesters over event with school board candidates
“The primary point of the event was for Turning Point USA,” Scwharz explained. “They just happened to show up because Turning Point USA supports what they’re doing school board-wise.”
“If (protesters’) interest is in safety for schools, ours are too,” he added.
While the candidates passed on an interview, other supporters urged Shepard Arms was nothing more than an event Venue.
Richard Longfellow has two high school students in the district. He said because the candidates didn’t sponsor the event they shouldn’t be affiliated with the gun shop.
"The candidates simply came because they were invited,” Longfellow said. "Nothing had to do anything with the gun shop itself, anything with the second amendment they just stated you know what they were running on, their campaigns.”
Still, protesters like Karen Jick said the optics alone are reason for concern.
"The connection between children and guns is already so volatile in our country with so many children being victims of gun violence,” Jick said, “that it just seems like it's inappropriate."
Protesters also said the conservative political action group hosting the event represents partisan politics that they want to keep out of the school board.
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