Lawrence Co. gun shop offers carry permit discounts - WBRC FOX6 News - Birmingham, AL

One day after a standoff, there's been a surge in people exercising their Second Amendment rights.

The owner of an Ethridge gun range posted an offer on his Facebook page for discounts on carry permits at his store.

Tripp Weigel said he's been busier than usual at Top Gun Arms.

"Normally the range is not quite as busy first thing Friday morning and we had a waiting list out here in the parking lot this morning," said Weigel, a co-owner at Top Gun Arms.

Weigel said much of the town has been on edge after police said Robert Dillon entered the CVS Pharmacy in Lawrenceburg and held a pharmacist hostage at gunpoint.

"This is something you do not see in rural southern Tennessee. You just don't see armed hostages," said Weigel.

He said after the attempted robbery and standoff, he posted on his gun shop's Facebook page a plan to name July 19 "Arm Lawrence County Day." He said he would offer a discount on carry permits and the response has been overwhelming.

"The phones were ringing first thing in the morning with people signing up for that carry permit class," said Weigel. "It's already halfway full and we've only been open six hours now."

Weigel said some of the people who were at the CVS during the standoff have signed up for the carry permit.

"It's been an eye-opening experience for several here in this sort of quiet community," said Weigel.

"You can see across the country it's a growing trend which is unfortunate," said Lawrence County Sheriff Jimmy Brown. "Yesterday we were very fortunate. We are very lucky."

Brown said he supports the effort of Weigel.

"All we need to do is act responsibly and I'm in 100 percent support of the citizens being allowed to bear arms," said Brown.

"If the criminals feel that more people are armed and that more people might be set up to protect their selves, they may steer away from those places and go somewhere where they don't feel they have direct harm in their way," said Weigel.

The pharmacist at the CVS Pharmacy, who has not been identified, is OK.

Dillon has been taken to a mental health facility in West Tennessee for examination.

In addition to the aggravated robbery charge on Thursday, Dillon faces four counts of aggravated kidnapping, three counts of reckless endangerment and evading arrest.

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