North Texas residents oppose relocation of gun club

RICHARDSON, Texas – Residents of the North Texas town of Richardson organize a protest against the National Rifle Association (NRA) moving its headquarters to their neighborhood.

They say the NRA wants to move its headquarters after it filed for bankruptcy in 2021.

City officials assured community members that the NRA will not be moving to Richardson.

They also said State Farm, the owner of the building the NRA reportedly wants to move to, is not offering the space for sublease.

“The city of Richardson has not been contacted by the National Rifle Association regarding their possible relocation to North Texas, nor is the city working with any real estate professional in any real estate consideration within these city limits related to the NRA,” said City Manager, Don Magner. 

Representatives of the newly founded group, American Muslims for Gun Reform, stood alongside fellow gun safety advocates, with a number of concerned local Muslim community members. 

Despite the lack of confirmation, many people in the community oppose the NRA’s presence in Richardson.

They argue that the NRA is responsible for gun violence and that it has no place in America.

Hadi Jawad, a veteran community organizer, said the NRA’s plans to come to Texas are a desperate attempt to stay solvent to survive.

Dr. Brian Williams, a trauma surgeon, said the NRA’s presence in Richardson was a slap in the face to victims of gun violence.

Williams had treated seven police officers shot in a mass shooting in 2016.

Cassandra Hernandez, a personal injury attorney, said the NRA’s “reckless disregard for human life” is unacceptable.

The NRA is a gun rights organization that has been around for more than 150 years. The organization has been criticized for its role in gun violence in the United States.

Community activist Hisham Syed also opposed the NRA’s presence, saying, “I don’t think [the NRA] have a place in America. I mean, they’re just creating this non-virtuous cycle … they’re just in the business of selling more guns and more bullets.” 

AMT’s editor, Rifat Malik, who is a founding member of American Muslims for Gun Reform, says she was pleased with the turnout. 

“It was heartening to see the community come together, including many from our own faith group, to let the Council and indeed the NRA know we oppose what they stand for and oppose their presence in our city.”