San Bernardino Shooting Calls for Protection

On Dec. 15, nearly two weeks after the tragic San Bernardino shooting at the Inland Regional Center, sixteen-year-old Lisa Ojeva accompanied by her parents Cris and Shelly Velarde, wandered into a local gun store ‘Get Loaded’ located in Grand Terrace, located about five miles from the shooting site. As a San Bernardino family, their goal that day was not only to buy a gun but to ultimately feel safe and protected while simply living in their own home. The shooting happened not even two blocks from where they live. It’s not uncommon for gun sales to rise after a mass shooting, especially within the local area that the tragic event took place. Terry McGuire, owner of Get Loaded, who expected to get a myriad of customers following Dec. 2. According to the New York Times, the San Bernardino mass shooting didn't necessarily cause the rise in gun sales; many people had already been in the process of buying their own weapon. The Dec. 2 shooting served more as a reassurance to acquire a weapon due to fear for safety. “My dad always wanted a gun,” Ojeva said. She explained that a family friend has “a bunch of guns” and the one they were purchasing that day will be the family’s first. The shooting in San Bernardino gave them that push to finally go out and acquire a gun. When asked if guns make her feel safer, Ojeva responded, "Well with what's been happening, it's more protection and I kind of need it now." Ojeva is not their only child. She has two older sisters and three younger sisters with their ages ranging from 22 to as young as 4. Her three younger sisters attend Urbita Elementary School right there in San Bernardino. However, Ojeva is home-schooled. Her father Cris Velarde works at the Salvation Army. “He leaves at about 6 a.m. and doesn’t get home until 5 in the evening,” she said. He didn’t feel secure leaving his wife and six daughters at home for that long period of time, especially after that Wednesday afternoon on Dec. 2. “He feels more comfortable when he leaves home to go to work now,” she added. That day, they went home with a 9 millimeter handgun. Ojeva has not had any type of experience handling a gun before entering the gun shop. “I was nervous at first,” she said. They plan on going to a class that will teach loading/unloading the weapon, safety tips, and other important information on how to handle the gun.