A man in Savannah, Georgia, politely confronted a fellow shopper at a Sam’s Club for carrying a firearm for “protection” but failing to have on a face mask for the same.
TikTok user @beachunderstars, who goes by the name Charlie Scott Robertson, posted a video on Friday, and it has since been viewed 2.4 million times.
The few-seconds-long video starts with Robertson approaching the elderly man, who is accompanied by a woman.
“I see you have a sidearm to protect yourself,” Robertson says.
The man nods in response, saying, “Oh, yeah.”
“I’m wearing this to protect you also,” Robertson says.
“It all helps,” the man responds as he continues to walk past.
“I care about your safety. That’s why I’m wearing a mask,” Robertson says before the video ends.
The video apparently ended up on “Trump TikTok” before making its way to regular TikTok and garnered some negative comments. “Sorry it’s been proved a mask doesn’t protect anyone says right on the box doesn’t stop the virus but bullets will stop a criminal,” one comment read.
Most of the comments now, however, are in support of Robertson. The video also opened up a debate about whether the man was simply not wearing a mask because it was illegal for him to do so while he was also openly carrying a firearm.
In July, the Better Government Association, an Illinois watchdog, fact-checked whether it is “against the law to carry a firearm while wearing a face mask” after some users on Facebook made the claim. The Better Government Association ultimately flagged the claim as “false”
There is no federal law that restricts people who are authorized to carry a firearm from wearing a mask. In some states, people aren’t allowed to conceal their identity while carrying a firearm, according to Politifact. However, in Georgia, the state where Robert filmed the confrontation, it is not illegal to carry a firearm while wearing a mask, according to Georgia Carry, a platform featuring “no-compromise voice for gun owners.”
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