'Uneventful' Gun Rally At Warminster Community Park: Police Chief

WARMINSTER, PA — The Gun Owners of America rally at Warminster Community Park, which raised alarms among some residents last week, went off without a hitch Saturday, the township's police chief said.

"It was uneventful," Police Chief James Donnelly told Patch Monday. "Nothing happened. Everybody had a peaceful event."

Township officials responded Friday to residents' concerns regarding the gun rally, stating that the organization secured the proper permits and "have the constitutional right to use this public space just like other groups and organizations."

The event has triggered opposition and outrage among residents, a state anti-gun violence organization and a Bucks County commissioner.

A flier for the event touted a gun giveaway of an AR-15 and a semi-automatic version of a Tommy Gun that had to be obtained after the winners received a voucher and went through background checks.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano was among the guest speakers, said Gun Owners of America state chapter director Val Finnell.

Finnell told Patch Monday that turnout for the event was in the "several hundreds" and may have been better if not for the inclement weather brought by Hurricane Ian.

"What a great event," he said. "We had no problems and we didn't anticipate any problems."

Chief Donnelly had told Patch last week that his department would have safety measures in place along with security hired by Gun Owners of America for the gun rally.

That was evident Saturday afternoon when Patch visited the park.

A traffic alert sign warned motorists entering the park from Bristol Road that a private event was taking place and to use another entrance.

Inside the park, as the gun organization owners set up a large white tent for the event, two Warminster squad cars were located in the parking lot at both sides of the tent for what the chief said were security cameras.

Meanwhile, Warminster police and other security were stationed in the parking lot.

The chief told Patch last week that he didn't expect any issues with the rally since it was a ticketed event that was isolated from the rest of the park.

"We thanked the park staff and the police officers," Finnell said. "Everyone was cooperative. It was just like a big picnic."