Gun show changes raises rights issue

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A bright yellow Texas Gun Shows sign hangs outside the entrance of the Crockett Center in the 10600 block of North Lamar where Austin police say at least eight felons and illegal immigrants have walked out with weapons in hand.

"Some people would go to certain vendors, attempt to purchase a firearm, and if they were asked to fill out paperwork or do a background check they would bypass them and go to another vendor until they found one that didn't require a background check," said T.J. Vineyard, an investigator with the organized crime division at the Austin Police Department.

The findings were the result of a year's worth of work between police, Federal Immigration, Customs, and Enforcement (ICE) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to target illegal gun trafficking.

Last Thursday before the Jan. 16 gun show local police and federal agents met with HEB Grocery who own the building, property managers and gun show promoter Darwin Boedeker to recommend the following ground rules:

1. Only licensed gun dealers will be allowed to sell firearms.
2. There must be on-site security to prevent parking lot gun sales
3. There must be a defined process for non-licensed dealers to sell guns. The group agreed on a federal firearms licensee to assist with the transactions.

While Boodeker agreed to abide by the recommendations last weekend, he plans on taking future shows elsewhere.

"I don't want a felon to own a gun. I don't want an illegal alien to own a gun, but they shouldn't infringe on the rest of our rights to try to get that accomplished," said Boedeker.

Police defended their actions, and said it is not their intent to create new rules regarding the private sale of guns.

"We're trying to find a way that we can recommend to the property owner that they can manage a show so that there can be some level of insurance of what's going on there is legal," said Vineyard.

Boedeker said law enforcement's latest move is a violation of one's constitutional rights.

Darwin says, "It's APD and the ATF that don't want the gun shows in Austin and if they succeed in Austin, then they'll spread to other cities."

The Texas State Rifle Association's website questions whether gun shows are under attack and are looking into the matter further.

Bodeker said Texas Gun Shows have been holding shows at the Crockett Center since November 2009. Police said Saxet Gun Shows leased the building prior.