One Missouri police officers’ association decided against holding a gun raffle a week after a mass slaughter in Texas took the lives of 19 children and two educators. Another Show Me State officers’ association has seemingly decided to move forward with a similar fund-raiser, though an advertisement promoting the event has been scrubbed from Facebook.
The Belton Police Athletic Association told The New York Daily News Thursday that it had canceled its plan to raffle an AR-15 benefiting its D.A.R.E. program.
“Months ago, the Belton Police Athletic Association decided this year to raffle an AR-15 rifle,” Belton Lt. Dan Davis said in a statement. “After recent tragic events, the Belton Police Athletic Association decided that it would be inappropriate to continue with the raffle as planned.”
According to Davis, the winner of the raffle has always received their prize “through a federally licensed gun dealer passing all applicable background checks.”
Belton authorities have sponsored the golf tournament where that raffle was to have occurred for the past three decades. Davis said refunds will be issued to those who purchased tickets and that police are exploring “other fund-raising opportunities” to help children stay clear of drugs and violence.
The Columbia, Mo. Police Officer Association, however, said on Facebook Wednesday that its 27th annual Golf Tournament Gun Raffle will “continue to respect and honor all of the Constitutional rights” of those who want to attend the event where tickets sell for $10. That posting also stated the items it will be raffling are “100% lawful to possess.”
Local station KOMU reports that the April 13 post advertising the Officer’s Association was removed from Facebook “due to public outrage.” A screenshot of the deleted tweet advertised an AR-556 rifle and a Glock handgun. Both weapons are semi-automatic. CPOA has not returned a request for clarification from The News.
Directly below the message that stated the Columbia, Mo., golf tournament would proceed, the officers association’s Facebook page promoted a blood drive taking place Friday.
“With mass shootings every day, donate blood for victims!” one Facebook user wrote. “It could happen in your town, too!”
A 45-year-old gunman is accused of killing four people in a Tulsa, Okla., hospital Wednesday. He died by a seemingly self-inflicted bullet wound. Also on Wednesday, the 18-year-old suspected of using at AR-15 to slaughter 10 shoppers in a Buffalo, New York, supermarket on May 14 was charged with murder and domestic terrorism.
