From behind the wheel of a black Bearcat armored truck, speaking through a PA system, Bryan Melchior had a message for the people of St. Petersburg, Fla.: "Arm yourself!"
The co-owner of the Utah Gun Exchange[1], an online marketplace for guns buyers and sellers, Melchior is also a provocateur these days, especially when it comes to questions of gun control.
Separately, student survivors of the February shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., have been traveling the country talking about gun control as part of their March For Our Lives tour. Shadowing them are Melchior and his employees, who have launched their own, shadow Freedom Tour with its own message, often broadcast from the menacing vehicle's loudspeaker.
An armored personnel carrier like that gets attention, and Melchior said he gets comments from passing drivers all the time. On Thursday, he responded to passers-by to look up to the company's Facebook page, and his message for them to stand up for the Second Amendment rights.
Melchior and a small team drove out to Florida to ensure a pro-gun presence at a March For Our Lives tour traveling the state. The gatherings are known to attract gun control advocates, but Melchior thinks both groups have a common cause.
“These students tell us that they’re not in the gun control business," Melchior said. "They’re in the tragedy prevention business.”
Melchior thinks tragedies are best prevented by improved school security and providing concealed carry training for teachers.
Melchior said his group originally was not welcomed at the March For Our Lives events, but there's been a shift. On Tuesday he and his team sat down with a group of
