RICHMOND, Va. — A gun rights rally in Richmond, Virginia attracted thousands on Monday and one Western New Yorker stood out among the rest.
Brandon Lewis was a protester at the rally who is getting a lot of attention from national media outlets because of the gun he was carrying. In many photos Lewis is pictured carrying a Barrett M82A1 rifle, which is a semi-automatic rifle that is used by the U.S. military.
Lewis told 2 On Your Side that the rifle was meant to send a message.
"The citizens are the government and we are in control not the other way around," he said. "So it was definitely a visual message."
The Washington Post quoted Lewis saying something similar, "This sends a strong visual message. The government is not above us. They are us."
Lewis owns the gun shop and shooting range called "The Firing Pin" located in Bergen, which is in Genesee County.
2 On Your Side asked Lewis if the rifle he was photographed carrying was legal in New York.
"Obviously the one that I have is legal" he said. "I own it legally under my business, I am a federal firearms licensee."
If an average citizen wanted that firearm, it would be illegal under the SAFE Act, unless modifications were made to it.
"If the magazine cannot be readily removed it's legal" said Lewis.
Some people argued Lewis shouldn't have walked around the rally with such a deadly weapon, but he said he did it because he can.