Employees of a North Las Vegas gun store that sold firearms to the gunman behind Sunday's shooting at the Route 91 music festival claim they are now receiving threats since being named.
David Famiglietti, president of New Frontier Armory, said they have been cooperating with multiple federal agencies, but wrote he and employees have received threatening messages and mail.
"Since the release of the news that we were one of several stores that Paddock had purchased firearms from in the area, myself and my employees have been receiving hate mail and threats, threatening phone calls and messages, and people leaving fake reviews of our company on various platforms," Famiglietti wrote in a release posted to the company's Facebook page. "Even though to us this is not important at the moment, we ask that people funnel their anger where it belongs instead of threatening and hurting others."
RELATED COVERAGE:
- Bullet from Las Vegas shooting stopped by cell phone
- Mass shooting suspect may have planned attack during Life is Beautiful festival
Before Stephen Paddock opened fire on a crowd of concert attendees across from the Mandalay Bay Hotel, he purchased a personal armory of firearms and ammunition across multiple states (Nevada, Utah, California, and Texas), according to Jill Snyder, special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' San Francisco field office.
One of those stores was New Frontier Armory.
Famiglietti said all state and federal regulations were followed in their sale to Paddock.
"[Paddock] did purchase several firearms through our retail store in North Las Vegas earlier this year. All state and federal requirements were met including a background check by the Nevada Department of Public Safety as well as a full FBI NCIS background check before he was able to take possession of the firearms he had purchased," Famiglietti wrote.
RELATED COVERAGE:
- Tips for coping after Las Vegas mass shooting
- First responders to Las Vegas mass shooting tell stories of heroism
"My entire staff takes their job very seriously and if there were any 'red flags' during this transaction, like any other, it would have been halted immediately," Famiglietti added.
The gun store owner also said the weapons were not sold to Paddock "capable of what we've seen and heard in video without modification."
Investigators revealed this week that 12 weapons were found in Paddock's hotel room equipped with a bump-fire stock, allowing a semi-automatic weapon to mimic an automatic firearm. It's not yet clear, though, if those weapons were used during the shooting rampage.
RELATED COVERAGE:
- Restaurants offering free food to first responders after shooting
- Erick Silva remembered as a hero for actions during Vegas mass shooting
Investigators have yet to say if the weapons sold by New Frontier Armory were indeed used as well.
"We obviously did not sell him these firearms with the intent that he would use them to hurt anyone in anyway if it does end up that he used these specific firearms in this horrific crime," Famiglietti wrote.
"It's no different than blaming Mandalay Bay for booking his hotel room, The State of Nevada DPS or the FBI for giving us the authority to transfer the weapon -- it obviously wasn't done with malicious intent."
