Gun seller quits industry over worries about mass shootings

Mass shootings involving children have prompted waves of grief for communities across the country. For Jon Waldman, who sold high powered guns. Recent gun violence prompted reflection. He wondered: What if one of the guns he sold ended up killing a child? And what if that child was his own? Waldman says he's choosing to close his business, Georgia Ballistics in Duluth, because of the risk those weapons pose to children. He spoke with GPB's Peter Biello.

Peter Biello: Was there a specific act of violence that inspired your decision to close up Georgia Ballistics, or was this something that built up over time?

Jon Waldman: The final straw, so to speak, was basically the shooting in Tennessee ... at the Christian private school. With the way that all happened and with how my son was talking to me about it afterwards — that's really what just did it. And then two weeks later, we had another mass shooting in Midtown at a hospital where a CDC worker was the victim.

Peter Biello: That was the shooting on May 3 in Midtown Atlanta, where a man opened fire in a large medical practice, killing one person and injuring four.

Jon Waldman: So between that and FedEx losing six of my guns and never — and being told "It's not my problem" by the ATF — I just I couldn't be part of the problem.

Peter Biello: What did your son say to you that really made you want to make a change?

Jon Waldman: He asked me if when I was in school — because he's 10 — when I was in fifth and sixth grade, if I ever had to do shooting training like this.

Peter Biello: Like active shooter drills, he's talking about it?

Jon Waldman: Oh yeah, and the problem is, is when I was talking to the school, nobody ever thinks about this: when you teach children what to do, to hide from from threats or a problem, you're also teaching the other students that are going to be shooters where all the kids are hiding.

Peter Biello: What have you learned about this business since you started more than two years ago that that made you rethink being in this business?

Jon Waldman: It's like if you love chicken nuggets, don't go work at a chicken factory. I realized that there's not a huge level of accountability. And when you see things that are behind the scenes, on both sides, for some people, it makes it hard to do this.

Peter Biello: And both sides, you mean the people buying the gun, the laws regulating selling the gun?

Jon Waldman: Right. To better sum it up, when — when I learned that police departments were going to give me guns used in crimes and murders to sell back on the streets, along with the shootings, with my son, that kind of made it too hard to do. And I found that out in January, which is why I started downturning everything and doing this.

Peter Biello: Have you had conversations with other gun store owners about your decision? And if you have, what were those conversations like?

Jon Waldman: Oh, all the ones around here just — they they make fun of me. They say, "Oh, well, we should have bought his stuff at at better discounts since he's closing." I'm not selling anything. I have people messaging me, e-mailing. The'yre like, "Can we buy the remainder of the stuff you have?" And I'm just like, "No." It's one of those things where you just — People are always going to say what they want and you're always going to have one side and another side and a different group. But none of them look at me like my son. And I want my son to look at me and be like, "Did you sell the guns for that?"

Peter Biello: So what are you doing with your remaining inventory?

Jon Waldman: I signed everything out. I put it in my gun safe here, and that's it.

Peter Biello: Well, what's next for you, career-wise?

Jon Waldman: I have no idea. This week, I'm getting the rest of the stuff out, and then I'm just filling out applications.

Peter Biello: What's your aspiration? Where would you want to work?

Jon Waldman: To be honest with you, I have no idea at this point. It should be a thought in my head. But it's just one of those things where you just deal with what's in front of you.