The well-known gun show in Del Mar ended after 30 years Sunday. NBC 7’s Ramon Galindo has more.
It is an end of an era for the Crossroads of the West Gun Show in Del Mar.
After 30 years, Sunday was the last time the show will be held at the Fairgrounds, but gun rights advocates said they won’t be leaving the county without a fight.
The board in charge of the Fairgrounds voted in September to put the shows on hold to review its policy on gun shows.
Policy changes being considered for the gun show's future included an all-out ban, a gun sale ban and an educational-only gun show.
The board allowed itself one year to review its gun shows policy, and the gun show could return after that.
The group of Del Mar residents that advocated for the gun show ban is led by Rose Ann Sharpe, of neveragainca.org.
“I’m feeling that the community has come together and made a statement," she said. "That the proliferation and sale of guns and ammunition does not belong on public property."
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Activists also received support from Governor-elect Gavin Newsom, who asked the board in charge of the Fairgrounds to keep gun shows off public land.
“This is a very large venue that glorifies guns on public property," she said. "It just doesn’t need to be on public ground. It doesn’t need to be glorified by the state.”
Supporters of the gun show, claim they are unfairly being painted in a negative light.
“It’s just a matter of time before they kick all gun shows off public land,” said Michael Schwartz, executive director of San Diego County Gun Owners PAC.
Schwartz said the gun show is educational and promotes safety.
“What we’re going to do is find a new location on private property, and we’re going to make sure that the gun show continues, and that it's bigger and better,” he said.
Others at the gun show also criticized attempts to control firearms.
“Automatic weapons just made for killing people, I can see that, but for recreational purposes?" Joe Tarantino of Lakeside said. "What if someone comes up with a bowling ball and hits you? You gonna ban bowling?”
While Second Amendment advocates vow to keep gun shows in San Diego County, opponents say they will keep battling to stop shows here and in other parts of the state.
Sharpe said there are efforts to ban gun shows in Orange County, Ventura County and in San Francisco.
