Armed volunteers not leaving Deo recruitment center

NEWARK – The Pentagon has issued a statement asking civilians guarding recruitment centers to put their weapons away, but the regular guards on Deo Drive are not planning to go anywhere.

“There’s nothing different today than last Monday,” Chris May, one of the armed civilians outside the Armed Forces Career Center, said Monday. “Soldiers should be allowed to carry.”

Since a fatal shooting at a recruiting center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, earlier this month, civilians across the country have taken to guarding the centers, openly carrying assault rifles and sidearms.

On Friday, the Pentagon released a formal statement asking volunteers to stand down.

“While we greatly appreciate the outpouring of support for our recruiters from the American public, we ask that individuals not stand guard at recruiting offices as it could adversely impact our mission, and potentially create unintended security risks,” the statement read.

Despite that request, May and other guards said they will not leave until men and women in recruiting centers are allowed to carry weapons.

Michael Ackron, a former U.S. Marine, has stood guard outside the recruiting center every day since last Monday, and he said he will continue to until things change.

“I think I can sum it up in two words: semper fi,” Ackron said when asked whether or not he would continue to spend his afternoons at the recruiting center. Semper fi is a Latin phrase meaning always faithful and is the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Bryant Varns has returned to Deo Drive every day since last Monday to guard the recruiting center. He said the response from the community has been “100 percent positive.”

Varns added that some people have brought water and even food for the armed volunteer guards.

Most businesses along the strip mall on Deo Drive said they have not been affected by the presence of the armed volunteers.

Cupps!, a soft serve ice cream shop on Deo Drive, two doors down from the recruiting center, has not seen a drop off in business, manager Bill Butts said.

“We’ve probably had more people come in because they are curious and talking about it,” Butts said.

Next door to Cupps, Goumas Confections reported a drop off in business last week.

“Last Monday we were definitely slow,” Brenda Estep said, referring to the first day armed volunteers stood on Deo Drive. “We don’t know if people were just afraid to come in.

“It’s good they are protecting,” Estep added. “We didn’t have business we normally have.”

Last week, an armed volunteer outside of a U.S. Army recruitment center in Lancaster accidentally fired a shot. No one was hurt, but the Lancaster Police Department confiscated the man’s AR-15. He returned later in the day with a sidearm.

Lancaster police have since asked all armed volunteers to leave the premises and the recruitment center is no longer guarded.

abisaro@gannett.com

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