What better way to highlight a debate about whether to allow concealed weapons in more public places than to have a top legislative aide arrested with a gun at a bar fight? That was the story in Missouri last week, where Jared Brown, the chief of staff to Republican state Sen. Justin Brown, lost his loaded gun, which fell on the floor during an altercation.
Brown, who was charged with unlawful use of a weapon and use of a loaded weapon while intoxicated, told police that “I wish my gun was closer—I woulda used it.” Brown claimed to carry the gun because he’s received death threats connected to his work—apparently being the chief of staff to a Missouri state senator is a lot more dangerous than you’d think.
Earlier that day, a state House committee debated a bill to make it harder for businesses to ban guns and to open up college campuses, government buildings, and other public institutions to guns. So maybe Jared Brown was just trying to show what a great idea such legislation would be.