The discussion of weather gun shops should be allowed in Sudbury, Massachusetts has reopened. After the Lewiston shooting in October, 2023, Sudbury began the process again to create a bylaw regarding gun shops in the town. 

The select board was following the lead of other towns that chose to create a bylaw governing gun shops. Advocates for the bylaw believe that the possibility of allowing a gun shop in Sudbury takes away from the safe environment our town has worked so hard to provide. Many take gun rates into consideration when choosing where to live. Massachusetts has the second most strict gun laws in the United States. Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School has worked to ensure that the attending students are safe. Administration and staff have run students through the appropriate drills and have their own resource officer, Officer Mangano, in the building from 7:30-4 daily. They believe that the Sudbury Schools have worked too hard to allow this type of store in Sudbury. 

The issue was discussed in a heated debate at the annual meeting in Sudbury on Monday, May 6th. The issue was surrounding the proposed law regarding the setback provision. Setbacks are a part of zoning regulations which limit the locations where buildings can be constructed on the property. The original bylaw included a setback of 250 feet. The Select Board President and Vice President argued that the setback should be 500 feet and proposed an amendment. Proponents of the original bylaw proposed an amendment of 225 feet. The argument for the reduced setback was that a 500 setback amounted to a ban on gun shops and would be subject to further litigation. The bylaw as amended to the 225 setback was not approved leaving Sudbury without any gun shop bylaw in place.