‘The enemy knows these are soft targets’
Armed civilians have taken guard outside military recruiting centers after Chattanooga shooting.
Clutching a semi-automatic rifle and sporting a “We The People’’ tattoo on his right forearm, the man in the military vest and camouflage pants stood guard outside a beige-colored building on a sweltering summer day. The edge of a silver bullet was visible from a bulky ammunition cartridge strapped to his chest. Below him, an American flag propped on the curb flew in the breeze.
It was a quiet afternoon at this unassuming strip mall not far from the main commercial strip in Manchester, New Hampshire, which includes a Chuck E. Cheese’s and a Hobby Lobby. But the sidewalk in front of one specific building was crowded with men holding guns.
There were nearly a dozen of them, a mix of some law enforcement officers and military veterans. It started with four men on Monday morning, they said, but had grown to 15 of them working in shifts as the days passed. The place they had come to protect was outlined in bright red letters in a sign posted above their heads: Armed Services Career Center.
“The enemy knows these are soft targets,’’ said the man with the tattoo, whose name is Stevie D, told Boston.com, “and we’re here to make them hard targets.’’
The group of civilians is one of several across the country who have spontaneously volunteered to stand guard outside military recruitment offices after a gunman killed four Marines and a sailor in Chattanooga, Tennessee last week. The shooting ignited a national debate over federal regulations that prohibits recruiters and other military personnel from being armed. Now similar scenes of men standing guard outside military centers are being reported across the U.S.
A man with an AR-15 rifle kept a lonely vigil at a recruiting office in Winchester, Virginia. A group of veterans stood guard outside a shopping mall in Madison, Wisconsin. And armed volunteers organized a similar patrol in Dothan, Alabama.
“We’re here to make a statement to ask our government to arm recruiters,’’ said Stevie D, a Suffolk County sheriff’s deputy and the group-appointed spokesman.
A spokesperson for the Marine Corps Recruiting Command said recruitment offices have made “necessary adjustments’’ to its security plan, and discouraged people from standing by their offices.
“While we greatly appreciate the support of the American public during this tragedy, we ask that citizens do not stand guard at our recruiting offices,’’ the Marine Corps said in a statement. “Our continued public trust lies among our trained first responders for the safety of the communities where we live and work.’’
In Manchester, police said they were staying “neutral’’ on the volunteer presence.
“We’re not taking any proactive approach,’’ Police Lt. Brian O’Keefe said. “We’re very neutral. So long as they’re not violating any New Hampshire laws, we’re not taking any approach to disseminating them.’’
New Hampshire, whose famous motto is “Live Free or Die,’’ is among many states that allow residents with appropriate permits to openly carry weapons. A police car rolled through the area to check on them about once an hour, though the officers were supportive, said Mark Gramatikis, an Army infantry veteran who showed up to donate water and ended up joining the guard because he was so moved by their efforts.
“I teared up,’’ he said.
Stevie D — his legal name, which he said he changed years ago — said he understood and respected those that felt uncomfortable by the increased presence of guns, but maintained that their presence made the quiet strip mall safer. They aren’t looking for any particular enemy, he said, but rather to act as a “preventative force.’’ The group has designed one individual as a “comms guy’’ to call local police in case any incident does occur.
“That Chuck E. Cheese’s has never been safer than it is today,’’ he said.
The reception from the public had been overwhelmingly supportive, Stevie D said, just as a young woman in a tie-dyed shirt walked over to ask the group for a picture. Styrofoam coolers, bottled water, Gatorade, and Dunkin’ Donuts boxes donated by supporters were piled against a wall. According to Gramatikis, even Manchester’s police chief took a picture with the group earlier Tuesday.
“We want people to know that they aren’t dealing with some radical yahoos,’’ Stevie D added.
How long does the group plan to guard the recruitment offices? Until the government changes the laws to allow recruitment officers to be armed.
“Whether it’s multiple guys out here or just one,’’ he said, “we’re committed.’’
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