After George Zimmerman was aquitted for the murder of Trayvon Martin in Florida, the owner of the Pompano Pat’s gun store did what any compeletly (ir)rational person would do: he gave Zimmerman a free gun. The store’s owner Pat Johnson let Zimmerman know about the offer in a letter to Zimmerman’s attorney:
“Upon receiving your confirmation that he is well within his legal rights to concealed carry, our company would like to offer Mr. Zimmerman a free firearm. We currently have the same model in stock, or he could (choose) another weapon suitable for concealed carry,” the letter states.It also says, “We have read numerous reports of death threats against your client and believe no good would come from harming him.
Fast forward a year to this summer. Pompano Pat’s was robbed. Initial reports indicated that the store owner Johnson, who is running for mayor in DeLAND, Florida, had hired Zimmerman (who is not a licensed security guard) to patrol his store after the robbery.
However, as it turns out, Johnson had not, in fact, hired Zimmerman as a security guard. Instead, Zimmerman took it upon himself to guard the store:
Pat Johnson told Local 6 that Zimmerman is not an employee of his DeLand store Pompano Pat’s, which sells firearms, ammunition and motorcycles.Johnson said that Zimmerman, on his own accord, has been spotted outside the store since the robbery earlier this month. The thieves stole rifles worth up to $5,000 and two mini-bikes, according to Johnson.
“I didn’t OK it. I didn’t know about it. I didn’t authorize it. I didn’t pay for it,” Johnson said. “He had just watched Facebook and the news and just took it upon himself to come up here and sit.”
Johnson added that although he knows Zimmerman, he has not hired him as a security officer.
“I sent him a text message telling him not to come back to the store anymore,” Johnson said.
Surely nothing bad could ever come from a vigilante like Zimmerman “patrolling” around the outside of a gun store with a loaded weapon. It’s not like the guy has a history or anything. Well except taking a bunch of pills, sticking a gun in his own mouth and threatening suicide. And threatening his estranged wife and her father with a gun and punching her father in the face.
If something bad does come of this, Johnson has nobody to blame but himself.
[Peace Monument photo credit: Anne Savage, special to Eclectablog]
