Fox5 DC reports that the NOVA Gun Shop is adjacent to Franklin Sherman Elementary School in the Fairfax County district. Some parents are upset because they say the store puts students at an unnecessary risk; an online petition advocating closure of the store has more than 2,200 signatures.
But store owners say that they are complying with the law. Under Virginia statutes, the county does not have a right to deny the shop a permit to be in the area.
A county official concedes that there is no legal basis for forcing the store to move--federal legislation that creates gun free zones near schools provides for many exceptions--but says the store owners used poor judgment in choosing a site so close to a school.
Mike Kennedy has been writing about education for American School & University since 1999. He also has reported on schools and other topics for The Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Times and City News Bureau of Chicago. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.
