DES MOINES – A knife attack at the Iowa State Fair has prompted a state gun group to demand that the fair allow patrons to carry guns into the event.
The Iowa Firearms Coalition said today that “if the Iowa State Fair can’t stop violent crime from taking place during the fair they should allow lawful citizens to carry and adequately protect themselves and their loved ones.
“Until the organizers of the Iowa State Fair can guarantee the safety of each of their 1 million plus visitors, they need to discontinue their ban on the lawful carry of defensive firearms.
“Every year there are dozens upon dozens of county fairs held in every corner of the State of Iowa. Tens of thousands of law-abiding Iowans with their Permit to Carry attend these fairs without incident. To argue that the activities at the Iowa State Fair are somehow fundamentally different than any of these county fairs is a fool’s errand.”
As NIT previously reported, on Tuesday night, a 21-year-old male was stabbed near the SW corner of the fairgrounds . The victim was transported to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines in a critical, but stable condition. A suspect was identified as 17-year-old Yuri Green. Green remains in custody. Two other juveniles that were involved in the altercation have received notices and are no longer allowed at the Iowa State Fair.
