Cindy Yorgason was in line at the J.C.
Penney in Riverdale on Wednesday when she looked up and saw a shopper
with "a large gun."
Yorgason said the rifle was slung across the
back of the man in front of her. When she looked closer, she saw that he
also had extra ammunition clips and a sidearm in a holster on his right
hip.
"It wasn’t small," Yorgason said of the pistol.
Amid a "lot of raised eyebrows" Yorgason
quickly snapped a pair of photos, which she said have been going viral
on Facebook ever since. She also said the first store clerkwhom the man
approached refused to serve him, and everyone in the vicinity "wanted to
get away."
On Thursday, 22-year-old Joseph Kelley
identified himself as the man in Yorgason’s pictures. Kelley described
himself as a firm believer in Second Amendment rights and said he
decided to bring the guns to the store to demonstrate that they are not
dangerous in the hands of law-abiding citizens.
According to Kelley, the rifle was an
unloaded AR-15 and the handgun was a loaded Glock 19C. He said he has a
concealed-carry permit, is a former member of the military and contacted
police dispatch before leaving his home to tell them about his plans.
Kelley also said he was told that he was "well within his rights" and
that bystanders’ reactions were positive.
"I felt no negative vibes from anyone," Kelley said. "I think it went rather surprisingly well."
Kelley added that he carries weapons to
protect children and other people from "criminals, cartels, drug lords"
and other "evil men."
Yorgason said the man’s behavior was in "poor taste."
"I thought that he was pretty much an
idiot," Yorgason said. "You do not need to do something like this even
if you are against any potential bans."
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