As Seattle and the state weigh tighter gun control measures the King County Sheriff is locked and loaded. He's ready to take the gun control debate to the firing range.
It's an upcoming campaign event called, "Shootin' With the Sheriff," and some say the timing couldn't be worse.
When you describe Seattle these days, gun violence has become almost as synonomous as the Space Needle.
We've seen it over and over again. Two months ago-- a father killed by a stray bullet in Seattle's central district.
Today Cafe Racer opened its doors for the first time since a mentally ill man went on a shooting spree. The wounds are still fresh.
So when Steve Strachan announced a campaign event at Wade's Gunshop to shoot with the sheriff, it rang hollow to Dan Byrne with Washington Ceasefire.
"I'm trying to figure out, why now? The timing doesn't seem quite right," he said.
It won't be the first time for this kind of event. Past Sheriffs have also fired off a few rounds with voters at the range. "I think in some ways it's not sensitive to the victims, that's my first reaction," says Byrne.
So the question for Sheriff Strachan, is why now?
"Timing can be difficult no matter when you hold any event," says Strachan. "But the fact is this is not about firearms it's about an event where people are handling firearms safely, they're doing something that is not illegal."
Even if that means loading up and letting loose with an AR-15 rifle.
"We're in the middle of this conversation. I want to make sure we're having a solid conversation with all sides of this issue," says Strachan.
A message even Washington Ceasefire concedes is on target, if not, a little off, on timing.
Strachan's "Shootin With the Sheriff" campaign fundraiser happens July 27 from 6-8pm at Wade's Gun Shop in Bellevue.
When reached today, John Urquhart, who's running against Strachan, had no comment.
