In an April 3 radio interview, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier seemed to have a tolerant stance on the opening of a retail firearms establishment in the District, despite her running battle to keep D.C. residents from owning firearms. When asked by Kojo Nnamdi, host of WAMU radio’s “The Politics Hour,” whether she would be OK with the city opening a gun store, Lanier replied, “If there was a regulated way for people to purchase in the District, I wouldn’t have an issue with it.”
D.C. residents wishing to purchase handguns currently must go through a single FFL dealer, who charges $125 to facilitate the transfer of handguns from outside the District, so the opening of a gun store could be a boon for residents wishing to exercise their Second Amendment rights. However, opposition from D.C. lawmakers and restrictive laws regarding where such a business could be located mean that any such business will likely still face substantial hurdles.
