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James Woods slams Alyssa Milano over anti-gun tweet: ‘Buy more ammo!’

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Conservative actor James Woods was quick with a response Thursday after left-leaning fellow thespian Alyssa Milano decried the recent surge in gun sales in the U.S.

“Americans bought over 2 million firearms in March of 2020, over a million more than this time last year,” wrote Milano, who backs Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.

Tying the gun statistics to the coronavirus outbreak, Milano then shared her advice for how the public should deal with the crisis.

NRA FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST CALIFORNIA OVER ‘TARGETING’ OF GUN STORES AMID CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN

“We have to keep each other safe by social distancing and washing our hands and not bringing dangerous firearms into our homes,” she wrote, adding the hashtags, #StopTheCoronavirusGunSurge and #NoRA.

In his reply, Woods suggested some gun buyers may have very pragmatic safety reasons for planning weapons purchases.

“Thank you for the reminder,” Woods wrote to Milano in retweeting her post. “When the looting starts, always be prepared. Buy more ammo!”

Burglaries on the rise

Some recent news seemed to back Woods’ concerns.

With many businesses closed and Americans struggling to find items they need amid the outbreak, reports of burglaries and other crimes have been in the news.

In California, authorities in Stanislaus County said this week that 10 suspects had been charged with looting, which refers to thefts that occur during emergency situations.

Police in Modesto say a man and woman were recently seen in a store parking lot pushing a shopping cart containing about $400 in items for which they allegedly hadn’t paid, the Modesto Bee reported. The woman was arrested but the man remained at large.

James Woods offered a different perspective Thursday after Alyssa Milano spoke out against a recent spike in U.S. gun sales.

In another incident, police arrested two men who allegedly broke into surrounding businesses so they could access the ATMs at a Wells Fargo Bank branch, the Bee reported.

In New York City, police say burglaries at commercial addresses have risen 75 percent since March 12, when Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a state of emergency, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Seattle has seen burglaries rise 21 percent, including an 87 percent spike in the city’s downtown area, police recently told radio station KTTH-AM.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

Rising crime and rising anxiety – such as that prompted by the coronavirus pandemic — often lead to a rise in gun sales, gun store owners and others recently told Fox News.

“Firearms are a psychological symbol of being safer in uncertain times,” Dennis Santiago, a California-based firearms instructor, and financial risk analyst, said last month. “People will gravitate to them. They are not acquiring them to use them. They are purchasing them, hoping they won’t have to.”

Fox News’ Hollie McKay contributed to this story.

Texas AG claims Planned Parenthood requesting special treatment during coronavirus pandemic

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has claimed that Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, is attempting to obtain “special” protections for their own medical services so that they can make money during the coronavirus pandemic.

Paxton made the comments during an exclusive interview with Fox News Wednesday after a federal appeals panel allowed Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott’s order a ban on elective procedures to remain in place.

Planned Parenthood, which brought the initial suit, maintains that abortions are “essential,” while the state has argued that elective procedures could take needed resources away from combatting the coronavirus epidemic — specifically by using up personal protective equipment (PPE) like face masks and gloves.

APPEALS COURT REINSTATES TEXAS ABORTION RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

“The problem is that we just don’t know what the resource drain is going to be,” Paxton told Fox News. “In some states, it’s growing … the numbers are growing. So, it’s impossible to know exactly when the right time to implement this policy is and when to stop it. All you can do is your best, and that’s what the governor, I think, is trying to do.”

“He’s trying to save lives and Planned Parenthood is trying to make some money,” Paxton added. “So, there’s competing interests here — dollars versus lives — and I’m working with the governor to help save lives. Planned Parenthood is looking to make some money for doctors.”

Paxton didn’t cite any particular evidence for that claim but he echoed many pro-life advocates who have claimed the group prioritizes revenue over health care.

Planned Parenthood has consistently maintained that it is acting out of its patients’ interests.

In a statement to Fox News Thursday, Planned Parenthood Federation of America spokesperson Bonyen Lee-Gilmore said: “Governor Abbott and Attorney General Paxton’s misguided priorities will cost Texans their lives. They’re spending their time targeting abortion, while allowing gun shops to remain essential and refusing to issue a statewide shelter in place order.”

The American Medical Association (AMA) and The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have both released statements defending abortion access during the pandemic. “At this critical moment and every moment, physicians – not politicians – should be the ones deciding which procedures are urgent-emergent and need to be performed, and which ones can wait, in partnership with our patients,” the AMA said.

CORONAVIRUS FUELS ABORTION DEBATE AS STATES RESTRICT ACCESS TO PROCEDURE

After the recent appeals court decision, Planned Parenthood Acting President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson argued that Texas was treating abortion differently than other procedures. “No other form of health care is being targeted this way — only abortion,” she said. “Don’t be fooled: Gov. Abbott’s use of his executive order to ban abortion has nothing to do with health or safety. If Gov. Abbott cared about the lives of Texans, he’d be addressing the public health crisis at hand. Planned Parenthood is here with our patients. We will not cower before politicians who insist on exploiting a global pandemic to score political points.”

Paxton argued, however, that the group was mixing burdens by focusing on “essential” services and pointed out that the courts have been ruling on Gov. Abbott’s original executive order, issued on March 22. The order contained exceptions for procedures necessary to protect the life of the patient. On Tuesday, Abbott implemented another executive order that outlined a series of “essential” activities such as trips to the grocery store or gas station.

“The message that they’re sending us — it’s ‘Hey look, we’re as important as people that are critically ill and may die and we have to sacrifice some of those resources to do elective abortions,’ which they’ve always said is a choice,” the attorney general said. “We want to do our elective procedures and unfortunately, that may mean we don’t have resources for people that are critically ill and some of those people may end up with worse outcomes or die.”

Pro-choice advocates have complained that the state was allowing religious services, despite its concerns about social distancing. Worship services, while not PPE-intensive, present the danger of easier transmission as parishoners generally crowd into limited spaces.

On Wednesday, Paxton’s office released a statement emphasizing the need to protect First Amendment rights. It attached a guidance document which urged houses of worship to either conduct services remotely or follow the Trump administration’s guidelines for preventing spread of the virus. Those included cancelling large gatherings where communities are experiencing a substantial spread of the virus.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

Abby Johnson, who previously directed a Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas, previously told Fox News that abortions weren’t essential services. “Abortion is never an essential service and especially at this moment, when all our resources need to be focused on beating COVID-19, having a non-essential business diverting needed resources and PPE is detrimental and harmful to public health,” she said.

During an interview with Fox News, she also highlighted how the numbr of coronavirus cases in Texas could grow, creating untold demands on health supplies. Johnson defended the state’s decision to restrict medicinal abortions, arguing that those treatments could lead to complications and use of additional PPE.

Texas AG claims Planned Parenthood requesting special treatment during coronavirus pandemic

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has claimed that Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, is attempting to obtain “special” protections for their own medical services so that they can make money during the coronavirus pandemic.

Paxton made the comments during an exclusive interview with Fox News Wednesday after a federal appeals panel allowed Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott’s ban on elective procedures to remain in place.

Planned Parenthood, which brought the initial suit, maintains that abortions are “essential,” while the state has argued that elective procedures could take needed resources away from combatting the coronavirus epidemic — specifically by using up personal protective equipment (PPE) like face masks and gloves.

APPEALS COURT REINSTATES TEXAS ABORTION RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

“The problem is that we just don’t know what the resource drain is going to be,” Paxton told Fox News. “In some states, it’s growing … the numbers are growing. So, it’s impossible to know exactly when the right time to implement this policy is and when to stop it. All you can do is your best, and that’s what the governor, I think, is trying to do.”

“He’s trying to save lives and Planned Parenthood is trying to make some money,” Paxton added. “So, there’s competing interests here — dollars versus lives — and I’m working with the governor to help save lives. Planned Parenthood is looking to make some money for doctors.”

Paxton didn’t cite any particular evidence for that claim but he echoed many pro-life advocates who have claimed the group prioritizes revenue over health care.

Planned Parenthood has consistently maintained that it is acting out of its patients’ interests.

In a statement to Fox News Thursday, Planned Parenthood Federation of America spokesperson Bonyen Lee-Gilmore said: “Governor Abbott and Attorney General Paxton’s misguided priorities will cost Texans their lives. They’re spending their time targeting abortion, while allowing gun shops to remain essential and refusing to issue a statewide shelter in place order.”

The American Medical Association (AMA) and The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have both released statements defending abortion access during the pandemic. “At this critical moment and every moment, physicians – not politicians – should be the ones deciding which procedures are urgent-emergent and need to be performed, and which ones can wait, in partnership with our patients,” the AMA said.

CORONAVIRUS FUELS ABORTION DEBATE AS STATES RESTRICT ACCESS TO PROCEDURE

After the recent appeals court decision, Planned Parenthood Acting President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson argued that Texas was treating abortion differently than other procedures. “No other form of health care is being targeted this way — only abortion,” she said. “Don’t be fooled: Gov. Abbott’s use of his executive order to ban abortion has nothing to do with health or safety. If Gov. Abbott cared about the lives of Texans, he’d be addressing the public health crisis at hand. Planned Parenthood is here with our patients. We will not cower before politicians who insist on exploiting a global pandemic to score political points.”

Paxton argued, however, that the group was mixing burdens by focusing on “essential” services and pointed out that the courts have been ruling on Gov. Abbott’s original executive order, issued on March 22. The order contained exceptions for procedures necessary to protect the life of the patient. On Tuesday, Abbott implemented another executive order that outlined a series of “essential” activities such as trips to the grocery store or gas station.

“The message that they’re sending us — it’s ‘Hey look, we’re as important as people that are critically ill and may die and we have to sacrifice some of those resources to do elective abortions,’ which they’ve always said is a choice,” the attorney general said. “‘We want to do our elective procedures and unfortunately, that may mean we don’t have resources for people that are critically ill and some of those people may end up with worse outcomes or die,'” he stated as a characterization of Planned Parenthood’s position.

Pro-choice advocates have complained that the state was allowing religious services, despite its concerns about social distancing. Worship services, while not PPE-intensive, present the danger of easier transmission as parishoners generally crowd into limited spaces.

On Wednesday, Paxton’s office released a statement emphasizing the need to protect First Amendment rights. It attached a guidance document which urged houses of worship to either conduct services remotely or follow the Trump administration’s guidelines for preventing spread of the virus. Those included cancelling large gatherings where communities are experiencing a substantial spread of the virus.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

Abby Johnson, who previously directed a Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas, previously told Fox News that abortions weren’t essential services. “Abortion is never an essential service and especially at this moment, when all our resources need to be focused on beating COVID-19, having a non-essential business diverting needed resources and PPE is detrimental and harmful to public health,” she said.

During an interview with Fox News, she also highlighted how the numbr of coronavirus cases in Texas could grow, creating untold demands on health supplies. Johnson defended the state’s decision to restrict medicinal abortions, arguing that those treatments could lead to complications and use of additional PPE.

March blows past record for gun background checks amid coronavirus pandemic

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The FBI ran more than 3.7 million background checks on Americans buying guns under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) in March, smashing the previous record as Americans armed themselves amid growing fears about the coronavirus pandemic.

The NICS system ran 3,740,688 background checks in March, which is 33 percent higher than the previous record of more than 2.8 million, which was set in February. The February numbers were a 34 percent uptick from the same time in 2019. The NICS system has not run fewer than 2 million background checks in one month since September 2018.

Previous reports noted a large spike in sales of guns and ammo as the coronavirus pandemic quickly rose to the top of Americans’ consciousness last month. March’s background check numbers marked a 41 percent increase over March 2019.

CORONAVIRUS: WHAT TO KNOW

DHS GUIDELINES ADVISE STATES TO LET GUN STORES STAY OPEN AMID CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

Not all gun sales involve a background check, meaning that the NICS numbers are not a direct indicator of total gun sales.

But the FBI numbers released Wednesday underscore the rise in demand for guns since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to widespread closures of businesses, government-issued stay-at-home orders and killed more than 5,000 Americans — with the White House predicting an eventual death toll of between 100,000 and 240,000.

Brady United, a gun control group, has spoken out against the increase in gun sales and a number of state governments that have declared gun retailers to be “essential” businesses that can remain open despite orders closing most other businesses that do not provide essential goods like food or medicine. It blames pro-gun and pro-Second Amendment organizations for causing Americans to panic about the virus as a way to drive up gun sales.

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“As a result of fears stoked by the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other gun-industry groups, we saw more federal background checks initiated in Marcy 2020 than any other on record,” Brady President Kris Brown said in a statement. “This boon for gun industry profits is a threat to public safety and is even more troubling given the Trump Administration’s recent guidance that gun stores should be designated ‘essential’ and remain open during this crisis.”

The NRA has defended both the ability of gun stories to stay open during the coronavirus pandemic and Americans’ rush to buy guns as they fear how long government-mandated stay-at-home orders and shutdowns of businesses will last, and just how bad the pandemic will get. It’s even filed a lawsuit against California over a policy of allowing local law enforcement to determine whether gun shops are “essential,” alleging that allowing such closures is an impermissible violation of the Second Amendment.

“Nothing is more important than the ability to protect ourselves and our loved ones, especially during uncertain times,” Amy Hunter, the NRA’s director of public relations, told Fox News. “The NRA remains vigilant as anti-gun lawmakers attempt to exploit the pandemic to pursue gun control. We will take any action necessary to ensure the American people can defend their families.”

Fox News’ Hollie McKay contributed to this report. 

March blows past record for gun background checks amid coronavirus pandemic

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Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.

The FBI ran more than 3.7 million background checks on Americans buying guns under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) in March, smashing the previous record as Americans armed themselves amid growing fears about the coronavirus pandemic.

The NICS system ran 3,740,688 background checks in March, which is 33 percent higher than the previous record of more than 2.8 million, which was set in February. The February numbers were a 34 percent uptick from the same time in 2019. The NICS system has not run fewer than 2 million background checks in one month since September 2018.

Previous reports noted a large spike in sales of guns and ammo as the coronavirus pandemic quickly rose to the top of Americans’ consciousness last month. March’s background check numbers marked a 41 percent increase over March 2019.

CORONAVIRUS: WHAT TO KNOW

DHS GUIDELINES ADVISE STATES TO LET GUN STORES STAY OPEN AMID CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

Not all gun sales involve a background check, meaning that the NICS numbers are not a direct indicator of total gun sales.

But the FBI numbers released Wednesday underscore the rise in demand for guns since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to widespread closures of businesses, government-issued stay-at-home orders and killed more than 5,000 Americans — with the White House predicting an eventual death toll of between 100,000 and 240,000.

Brady United, a gun control group, has spoken out against the increase in gun sales and a number of state governments that have declared gun retailers to be “essential” businesses that can remain open despite orders closing most other businesses that do not provide essential goods like food or medicine. It blames pro-gun and pro-Second Amendment organizations for causing Americans to panic about the virus as a way to drive up gun sales.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“As a result of fears stoked by the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other gun-industry groups, we saw more federal background checks initiated in Marcy 2020 than any other on record,” Brady President Kris Brown said in a statement. “This boon for gun industry profits is a threat to public safety and is even more troubling given the Trump Administration’s recent guidance that gun stores should be designated ‘essential’ and remain open during this crisis.”

The NRA has defended both the ability of gun stories to stay open during the coronavirus pandemic and Americans’ rush to buy guns as they fear how long government-mandated stay-at-home orders and shutdowns of businesses will last, and just how bad the pandemic will get. It’s even filed a lawsuit against California over a policy of allowing local law enforcement to determine whether gun shops are “essential,” alleging that allowing such closures is an impermissible violation of the Second Amendment.

“Nothing is more important than the ability to protect ourselves and our loved ones, especially during uncertain times,” Amy Hunter, the NRA’s director of public relations, told Fox News. “The NRA remains vigilant as anti-gun lawmakers attempt to exploit the pandemic to pursue gun control. We will take any action necessary to ensure the American people can defend their families.”

Fox News’ Hollie McKay contributed to this report. 

Virginia shop owner calls arrest of employee who shot would-be robber ‘very sad,’ ‘mind-boggling’

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The owner of a Virginia smoke shop told “Tucker Carlson Tonight” Tuesday night that he is outraged that one of his employees has been charged after fending off a trio of would-be robbers over the weekend.

“They had broken into the store [early Sunday], three men with masks on,” Jowan Zuber told host Tucker Carlson. “The neighbor upstairs said when they broke the window it sounded like a car smashing into the store. The employee said it sounded like a shotgun.”

The employee, identified by WJLA as 33-year-old Hamzeh Abushariah, was sleeping in the store in order to practice social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to Zuber, Abushariah woke up, reached for a pistol and shot at the intruders to “scare them,” hitting one of the three young men.

TRUMP SAYS PREPARE FOR ‘PAINFUL 2 WEEKS’ OF CORONAVIRUS CONTAGION

Zuber told Carlson that when police arrived, he assumed that Abushariah was “in the right” and practicing self-defense, but “the cops [were] treating us like we were the ones that caused the harm.”

Abushariah was charged with malicious wounding, reckless handling of a firearm and violating a protective order, according to a police statement obtained by local blog ARLNow. Arlington Police also told WJLA that the charge of violation of a protective order related to Abushariah reportedly being ordered not to have a firearm.

“It’s very sad for America today as American citizens practice their Second Amendment to protect the store and their lives,” Zuber said. “Do you know what the [responding] police officer told him [Abushariah]? ‘Why didn’t you run out the back door?'”

Zuber added that when he went to the jail to bond out Abushariah, the $25,000 bond was appealed by the prosecutor.

“This is very sad,” he said. “I was born in Arlington, I pay taxes. The gun is registered and everything is perfect. But I can’t believe as American citizens, we are being treated like this. And this gets the criminals out there [thinking] ‘We can go rob stuff, kill people and hurt people and guess what, people have to run out the back door’. This is mind-boggling.”

CLICK HERE FOR CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

Zuber went on to say that he was fearing for Abushariah’s health after hearing him coughing heavily after only a short time behind bars.

In a statement Monday, Arlington/Falls Church Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti said that she could not “ethically discuss an ongoing investigation,” but “suffice it to say, there is evidence we are not at liberty to share that support the charges, the decision was not made lightly, and we ask the public not to rush to judgment on what is very much a live investigation.”

Police said in their statement the burglary suspect who was shot by Abushariah suffered injuries that were “serious but not life-threatening.”

“The other two subjects fled the scene on foot prior to police arrival,” the statement said, adding that additional charges related to the breaking and entering are anticipated at a later date.”

New Jersey governor reverses course to let gun stores open during coronavirus pandemic

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New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday that gun stores will be able to stay open during the coronavirus pandemic, changing their status in the Garden State to essential businesses amid the outbreak.

The announcement marked a reversal for the Democratic governor, who had closed gun shops as well as other nonessential businesses in the state to curb the spread of COVID-19.

DHS GUIDELINES ADVISE STATES TO LET GUN STORES STAY OPEN AMID CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

“In accordance with the guidance released over the weekend by the federal Department of Homeland Security, we will allow firearms sellers to operate,” Murphy said, after having designated gun shops nonessential under his stay-at-home executive order earlier this month.

Murphy’s decision came after the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency within the Department of Homeland Security issued guidance over the weekend telling states that they should allow gun retailers and shooting ranges to remain open during the pandemic.

Agency Director Christopher Krebs on Saturday told states that “[w]orkers supporting the operation of firearm or ammunition product manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors, and shooting ranges” are part of the “essential critical infrastructure workforce.”

Murphy, a Democrat who has pushed for stricter gun laws in his state, said he was hesitant in making the change, but said he didn’t have a say in the matter.

“It wouldn’t have been my definition, but that’s the definition at the federal level. I didn’t get a vote on that,” Murphy said, adding that residents can go to a gun store to purchase a firearm by appointment only and “during limited hours.”

Firearm-related businesses were just one of many topics addressed in the DHS guidance. It provided states and localities with recommendations on essential businesses in industries ranging from agriculture to energy to transportation.

Murphy also announced other changes, saying that car dealerships would be able to make sales online or over the phone, and that vehicles can be delivered or picked up curbside. Murphy also acknowledged that car repair services have been allowed to stay open.

Murphy also said breweries and pubs are now able to make deliveries.

Murphy signed an executive order on March 21 directing all residents to “stay at home,” and “indefinitely” closing all nonessential retail businesses in an effort to halt the spread of coronavirus.

CORONAVIRUS: WHAT TO KNOW

“All gatherings are canceled. This means no weddings, no funerals or birthday parties,” Murphy said in a video posted to Twitter earlier this month. “I don’t take this action lightly, but my goal is to make sure you can gather safely with family and friends later.”

Murphy, at the time, said “grocery stores, food banks, pharmacies, medical supply stores, gas stations, banks, pet supply stores, restaurants and bars providing takeout and delivery” are among the limited exceptions and will remain open.

The move also orders all retail businesses to close and all businesses to “move to 100 percent work from home, wherever possible.”

Murphy’s announcement came as states like New York, California, Connecticut and Illinois passed similar laws ordering citizens to stay at home, and closing nonessential businesses. Other states have since followed suit.

Fox News’ Tyler Olson, Andrew O’Reilly and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

DHS guidelines advise states to let gun stores stay open amid coronavirus pandemic

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An agency within the Department of Homeland Security has issued guidance telling states that they should allow gun retailers and shooting ranges to remain open during the coronavirus pandemic as a debate swirls about whether such businesses are “essential” and should be permitted to continue operating as governments urge people to stay home to avoid spreading the disease.

The guidance, which came from Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Christopher Krebs on Saturday, tells states that “[w]orkers supporting the operation of firearm or ammunition product manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors, and shooting ranges” are part of the “essential critical infrastructure workforce.”

Though the guidance goes out of its way to say its recommendations are not mandatory, the inclusion of weapons manufacturers and retailers rankled gun-safety activists, including Kris Brown, the president of the Brady Campaign.

“While DHS’ guidance is advisory, it is ill-conceived and dangerous. State and local governments are well within their constitutional rights to broadly close businesses in order to prevent the spread and flatten the curve, and they are definitely not required to designate gun industry businesses as ‘essential’ and keep them open,” Brown said in a statement. “There is no constitutional right to immediately buy or sell guns, and there is certainly no right to spread coronavirus while buying or selling guns.”

CORONAVIRUS: WHAT TO KNOW

CORONAVIRUS CRACKDOWNS CAUSING FRICTION AS GUN STORES DEEMED ‘NONESSENTIAL BUSINESSES’

Brown continued: “Brady continues to affirm the rights of state and local governments to temporarily close these businesses and opposes baseless lawsuits that claim otherwise, such as the NRA’s against the state of California.”

As states have moved to limit the opportunities for public interaction in an effort to keep people in their homes during the coronavirus pandemic, they’ve left banks, groceries and convenience stores open as essential businesses. Places like movie theatres and bars were obvious answers for businesses that could be shut down. But gun retailers, which have seen a significant uptick in sales as people worry just how bad the coronavirus crisis might get, have gotten different treatment in different states.

States including Delaware, New York and Michigan have ordered that gun retailers close for the foreseeable future while many others have exempted the gun shops from the closures.

That disparity exists because closing gun shops is a sticky constitutional issue. Guns are certainly less essential than groceries to peoples’ survival, meaning closing them could help slow the spread of the coronavirus while not causing people to starve. But the Second Amendment provides strong protections for Americans’ right to bear arms, so the government preventing people from acquiring guns, even temporarily, raises constitutional questions.

2020 CAMPAIGN IN DEEP FREEZE AS CORONAVIRUS RULES KEPT IN PLACE

A California policy allowing local law enforcement to decide whether or not their gun shops may remain open during the pandemic led to a lawsuit from the National Rifle Association (NRA) to force the state to keep its gun retailers open, which was filed on Friday.

“Municipalities who target lawful gun stores for closure aren’t promoting safety—by weaponizing their politics to disarm you and your loved ones, these shameless partisans are recklessly promoting a gun-control agenda that suffocates your self-defense rights when you need them most,” NRA Institute for Legislative Action Executive Director Jason Ouimet said in a statement.

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The gun-rights group applauded the DHS guidance that was issued on Saturday.

“Nothing is more important than the ability to protect ourselves and our loved ones, especially during uncertain times,” Amy Hunter, the NRA’s director of public relations, told Fox News Monday. “President Trump made clear that he understands this fundamental fact by recommending all gun stores remain open as essential businesses. The NRA remains vigilant as anti-gun lawmakers attempt to exploit the pandemic to pursue gun control. We will take any action necessary to ensure the American people can defend their families.”

Firearm-related businesses were just one of many topics addressed in the Saturday DHS guidance. It provided states and localities with recommendations on essential businesses in industries ranging from agriculture to energy to transportation.

Fox News’ Andrew O’Reilly and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

NRA files lawsuit against California over ‘targeting’ of gun stores amid coronavirus lockdown

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The National Rifle Association (NRA) on Friday filed a federal lawsuit against California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles County Sheriff Alexander Villanueva after the state’s order to close nonessential businesses has affected firearms retailers.

On Wednesday, Newsom’s order allowed county sheriffs to make discretionary decisions about labeling gun stores as essential businesses.

Villaneuva initially ordered gun retailers closed under the edict, but then reversed himself, and later changed his mind again, rendering them shuttered, according to Bloomberg News.

The NRA cited “constitutional violations” by the state government and said in a statement on its NRA Institute for Legislative Action [NRA-ILA] website that it would be joining other Second Amendment groups and activists — and other businesses, in filing the suit.

THOMAS MASSIE DEFENDS CONTROVERSIAL CORONAVIRUS AID ROLL-CALL REQUEST

“Municipalities who target lawful gun stores for closure aren’t promoting safety — by weaponizing their politics to disarm you and your loved ones, these shameless partisans are recklessly promoting a gun-control agenda that suffocates your self-defense rights when you need them most,” Jason Ouimet, the NRA-ILA’s executive director, said in a statement Friday.

“NRA members recognize these unlawful power-grabs for what they are.”

The lawsuit argues that closing gun stores violates the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, and that licensees are to be deemed “essential” places of business as they provide access to that right.

It also cites the Fourteenth Amendment, which reads in part that “no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.”

On the other side of the country, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf was served with a lawsuit last week claiming his executive order closing all “non-life-sustaining” businesses violated the Second Amendment, as it did not originally allow gun stores to continue operation.

Last week, the Commonwealth’s Supreme Court ruled in a divided decision against a Lancaster County gun shop owner and a gun buyer from the Philadelphia suburbs.

But shortly thereafter, Wolf allowed gun stores some limited reopening abilities.

Retailers may now sell guns by appointment only during limited hours, so long as social distancing is practiced, according to FOX 29.

An attorney in the Supreme Court case, Joshua Prince, credited a dissenting opinion from Commonwealth Supreme Court Justice David Wecht and two other justices, who wrote that the initial policy indicated an “absolute and indefinite prohibition upon the acquisition of firearms by the citizens of this commonwealth.”

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Wecht wrote that such a move created “clear tension” with the Pennsylvania State Constitution and the Second Amendment.

A spokeswoman for Wolf told FOX 29 on Tuesday that the adjusted policy was developed “following review of the Supreme Court’s decision.”

The NRA-ILA also praised the Wecht dissent in a statement on its website.

Businesses in the state are also able to file a request for a waiver from the government if they would like to petition to keep their brick-and-mortar businesses open if originally deemed “non-life-sustaining.”