KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Chilhowee Park is hosting what could be its last gun show ever -- and the gun show company's CEO is questioning the new ban.
The Knoxville City Council voted in September to ban gun shows on city-owned property. Madeline Rogero, Knoxville's mayor at the time of the resolution, said she would not allow any more gun shows to be scheduled during her term.
The city's new mayor, Indya Kincannon, also expressed support for the ban.
However, the city was contractually obligated to host two already-scheduled gun shows. The last of those shows will take place Saturday and Sunday at Chilhowee Park.
The gun show is an event by R.K. Shows, an Iowa-based company that organizes shows and expositions in 10 states. The company's CEO, Rex Kehrli, sent an open letter Friday criticizing the ban and several Knoxville officials and community members.
"What is being proposed by these city officials is nothing more than a shallow virtue signal with no logical basis in reality that will let them feel like they are doing something about the issues faced by the city, while not having to do any research, or higher level thinking, to come up with an actual solution," the release began.
Kehlri's letter contained quotes from news articles about Rogero, Kincannon, Councilwoman Gwen McKenzie and pastor Lawrence Williams.
Kehrli first criticized a statement Gwen McKenzie made on gun violence, in which she said it was an "insult to injury" to host gun shows in a community affected by gun violence.
"...What McKenzie is proposing will absolutely do nothing to attain her goal of lowering crime in her area, and it is egregiously ignorant to think by stopping gun shows from being held that all these problems will vanish," Kehlri wrote.
Kehrli said no Knoxville official reached out to R.K. Shows about the ban. He said the company found out from "a call from the media." He said the shows help local economies by bringing in vendors who might spend money in the city.
The letter ended with a criticism of Knoxville officials, claiming that they "exceed the limits of their office and encroach on their liberty."
The city's resolution to ban gun shows on city-owned property followed activism from Knoxville families.
One local activist was Zenobia Dobson. Dobson's son Zaevion died in December 2015 while saving others from a drive-by shooting, gaining international attention. She attended the meeting in which the council voted on the ban.
"We have protested these gun shows before. And my friend [Terry Walker-Smith] lost her son to gun violence. We support each other. We've had many a nights that we cry about our children. And we have to go to the cemetery to visit. And that's not fun. We want to stand up and push forward because innocent lives do matter," Dobson told 10News in September.
