Armed residents clean up

Effort aimed at promoting awareness of right to carry arms

By WARREN SCOTT, Staff writer

STEUBENVILLE - To participate in a cleanup on the streets of the Labelle neighborhood, about a dozen residents brought not only rubber gloves and plastic garbage bags.

They also brought handguns, which they kept in holsters worn around their waists - some in plain view and some not - in a move they said was aimed at promoting awareness of laws allowing Ohioans the right to carry firearms in public.

Wayne Johnson, a resident of Belleview Boulevard - one of the streets where the group worked - said under state law, anyone may carry any gun they have the right to legally own.

He said Ohioans may not carry a concealed weapon without a permit, which may be obtained after undergoing a 12-hour training program and criminal background check.

Asked why someone would want a permit to carry a concealed weapon if they could carry an unconcealed weapon without a permit, Johnson said laws establish that carrying a weapon in one's vehicle constitutes concealing it.

"If you have a loaded magazine in the car, it's considered a loaded weapon," Johnson said, adding that without the permit "it's a hassle."

He was asked if his desire to carry a weapon is spurred by safety concerns or the wish to express his Constitutional right to bear arms.

Johnson said the answer is both. He said he doesn't expect to use his weapons, but he carries them as a precaution.

"We have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. We don't plan to use that. We're not looking for trouble, but it could find us," he said.

Johnson said he doesn't believe an increase in people carrying concealed weapons could lead to more mishaps or acts of violence involving firearms.

He said those who have obtained concealed carry permits "are already disposed to obey the law. Where mass shootings have occurred, the individuals didn't have a license. It didn't stop them from shooting."

Johnson said the cleanup was announced through an Internet forum called Ohioans for Concealed Carry. He said other events, including a picnic at a Cleveland park, have been held through the informal group.

He said the purpose of the cleanup is to change perceptions on those who carry concealed weapons.

"We're normal, helpful citizens. Just because you carry a firearm doesn't make you any less the kind of person you'd meet in a Wal-Mart or on the street," Johnson said.

In an earlier interview he said the cleanup was spurred by an incident in which neighbors called the police because they had seen him carrying a weapon.

According to City Police, Johnson was walking with his wife, who had a concealed weapon, and children and was asked by a city patrolman to conceal his weapon also to avoid causing a disturbance.

Officers who reported on the matter said they were aware of Johnson's right to carry a firearm but advised him "the potential existed for an unneeded confrontation due to the area he was in."

Travis Hunt, a Wintersville resident participating in the cleanup, was asked if neighbors should report suspicious activity.

"I encourage everybody to report suspicious activity in this day and age," he said.

But Hunt said people shouldn't be concerned about those who have obtained concealed carry permits.

"You rarely hear of people with concealed permits committing gun crimes," he said.

Hunt said he carries a concealed weapon to protect his children, teaches them about gun safety and keeps his firearms locked up at home.

(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)