A former employee of a gun range in Orange County, California, shares his experiences working in the firearms industry, witnessing the darker aspects of gun culture. He recounts incidents of suicides at the range, encounters with paranoid customers, and interactions with future rampage shooters. The narrative highlights the complex and often disturbing realities faced by those who work in gun ranges.
Key Points:
- Suicides at the Range: The author witnessed multiple suicides at the range, including a woman who shot herself in the head. Standard procedures for handling such incidents included clearing the range and dealing with the aftermath, often without proper safety protocols.
- Rampage Shooters and Paranoid Customers: The author observed a shift towards more extreme and paranoid behaviors among range customers, noting that three individuals who later committed mass shootings had practiced at the range.
- Personal Attraction to Firearms: The author was initially drawn to guns as a teenager after his family experienced violent crimes. He began collecting and selling firearms to pay for college expenses, eventually leading him to work at the gun range.
- Challenges and Risks of the Job: Working at a gun range involved dealing with difficult and sometimes dangerous customers, including those who inadvertently pointed loaded firearms at employees.
Source: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/09/confessions-gun-range-worker/?ref=thebrowser.com
