Mistakenly identified by a Myrtle Beach Target employee as a toy gun, the very real gun was confiscated by police upon being reported by Target. Because of its placement in the toy aisle on top of a superhero Playskool toy box, it is thought that the gun was placed in the aisle on purpose. Police have combed through the store's security footage, and have released a picture of the suspect.
From the footage, it appeared that the suspect paced the aisle nervously before placing the gun down and walking out of the store. The Myrtle Beach police have requested that anyone with knowledge of the person in the picture they have released come forward.
The averted tragedy comes in the wake of a shooting at Seattle Pacific University, where one person was killed with three others injured. The suspect in that shooting was taken down by students when the suspect paused to reload, and was hit by pepper spray.
Moms Demand Action, a gun-safety group formed in the wake of the Newtown massacre last year, have pointed to the need for greater gun control in private areas, going so far as to petition various shops to ban its customers from openly carrying weapons. So far, companies such as Chipotle, Jack in the Box, and Sonic have gone along with Moms Demand Action.
Staunch republican South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has fought against gun control in every form- in fact, she supports a law currently being debated in the South Carolina senate that would allow both open and concealed carrying without a permit or the training necessary to obtain a permit. Currently in South Carolina, residents can carry concealed weapons as long as they have a permit; the law in question would remove that requirement.
Pro-gun advocates and gun control advocates alike have stated that children should be taught about the inherent danger in guns, and if they should see one, to leave it alone.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
