A new citizens activist group, Falls Church Families for Gun Store Free School Zones, has already signed up 88 on its group Facebook page this week following news that a second gun store intends to open on W. Broad Street in Falls Church, this one directly across from St. James School.
The application for the business, NOVA Firearms, has been received by the Falls Church Commissioner of the Revenue office which now has it under review. The Facebook page states, “We are the concerned parents, parishioners, and community members of Falls Church, Va., united against the proposed location for NOVA Firearms.”
NOVA Firearms was originally located in the City of Falls Church, in space now occupied by The Gun Dude, above Bedo’s Leatherworks on W. Broad before relocating to McLean in September of 2013. Its McLean location on Chain Bridge Road has been met with opposition from many concerned with its proximity to Sherman Elementary School. Fairfax County Board of Supervisors member John Foust has publicly stated he would like to see the store relocate.
According to its webpage, NOVA Firearms is a retail gun shop that offers 400-600 of the most popular Class 1 & Class 3 firearms and accessories. Its website offers over 50,000 of the latest firearms and accessories that typically can be delivered to their shop within 2-3 business days with free shipping. A Class 3 firearm is special category includes machine guns, destructive devices such as grenades, and sound suppressors/silencers. NOVA Firearms holds one of only three such licenses in the Greater Washington Area, according to the Gun Store Free School Zones group.