As gun violence rates increase and the national debate over gun control intensifies, the public’s widespread fears regarding firearms and weapons continue to grow.
Amidst the discourse, grocery chain Publix has allowed Florida customers to openly carry firearms inside their stores as of Sept. 25, ruled by the First District Court of Appeals, as per their recent appeal of the Florida Statute § 790.053.
The 1987 law which banned open carry was in place for 38 years, sparking outrage among Florida residents who favor the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms. The Florida legislature is dominated by the Republican party, and their ideologies align with having this right.
In the 2025 case of McDaniels v. State of Florida, defendant McDaniels was charged with openly carrying a firearm. He argued that his arrest violated the Second Amendment. The case was ruled in favor of McDaniels, and the law was repealed.
Open carry is the practice of publicly carrying a firearm in a way that is visible to others. Following the decision, Publix released a statement asserting that individuals are not allowed to use their firearms in any threatening or dangerous ways.
“I think it’s a little obnoxious that people walk around with guns in grocery stores,” Advanced Placement Government teacher Jeffery Foster said. “I don’t agree with it, but again, it is a free nation. A lot of their donors are conservatives, so they’re going to allow it to happen in their stores.”
Like Foster, many people do not agree with open carry laws, arguing that owning a gun is not for show. Despite outrage, many states, such as Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia and others have passed laws that allow their residents to do so in recent years leading up to a three-judge panel of the First District Court of Appeal’s repeal of the law. Florida is one of the many among the 47 states that allow open carry.
“I’m not sure if I feel unsafe, but I’ll definitely be looking around more often if I see people,” Foster said. “If I were to walk by someone with a gun, I might leave the store quickly after.”
People carrying firearms openly may scare individuals. Not all view that open carrying itself is the issue, though.
“I don’t feel that open carry is the issue,” administrative assistant Debra Wanamaker said. “I feel the individual who handles it is the problem.”
Wanamaker, like other staff members, was present during and affected by the Feb. 14, 2018 shooting. For many, their concerns for Publix allowing open carry become mixed as many feelings and trauma add up.
“I have layered experience from the shooting, because I have a daughter who was inside the building when it happened,” Wanamaker said. “She was in the first room shot into. As a staff member, my mind kind of blacked out where my daughter was at the moment. I went into the mode of taking care of the students who were within my vicinity.”
Though the passing of the law has raised concern for many in the community, a large number of Publix shoppers and workers are not opposed to the rule.
“I’ve been working at Publix for a little over a year now and I’ve yet to see any problems from this rule,” sophomore Ryan Acero said. “I’m aware of it and not afraid of it by any means. I know what to do in case of an emergency and I know I will be safe and protected, so this personally doesn’t bother me.”
The escalating concerns and alarms about gun control and violence may lead to discomfort and fear under this new law, potentially altering people’s daily routines to the extent that some might choose frequent visits to different grocery stores.
