LA County Sheriff Abandons Effort To Close Gun Stores

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has retracted an order to close gun stores to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Villanueva announced Monday that he’ll heed a federal advisory that lists gun dealers as “essential critical infrastructure workers.” Last week, the sheriff ordered gun stores closed, saying panic-buying was risky to public safety. On Friday, the National Rifle Association and other groups sued the sheriff, saying his order violated Second Amendment rights. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has said that each of the state’s 58 counties can decide for themselves whether to list firearms dealers as nonessential businesses.