LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who was sued by gun-rights groups after trying to shut down firearms dealers in the wake of coronavirus concerns, said he is abandoning the effort.
The sheriff said he's heeding a federal Department of Homeland Security advisory issued on Saturday that listed gun and ammunition dealers as "essential critical infrastructure workers."
Villanueva called the non-binding memo "persuasive" and announced that his department won't order or recommend closing businesses that sell or repair firearms or sell ammunition in the nation's most populous county.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has said each of the state's 58 counties can decide for themselves whether to list firearms dealers as nonessential businesses that should be subject to closure while the state seeks to limit the spread of COVID-19.
