About a dozen open-carry advocates gathered at Birmingham's Shain Park Monday afternoon to support 18-year-old Sean Combs, who was arrested in April after he was found openly carrying his loaded M1 Garand rifle through downtown Birmingham.
Organized by Eastpointe resident Jeff Kroll, the rally began as an idea on OpenCarry.org, which publicized Combs' story in the online forum. Open-carry advocates on the site believe the teen's arrest is not just violating the Second Amendment — it's violating his civil rights.
"I'm in support of anyone who gets into trouble for doing something legal," Troy resident Dan Edinger told Birmingham Patch, his Springfield XD 9 pistol resting on his hip and his AR 15 rifle slung over his shoulder. A Kel Tec pistol was concealed in his pocket.
"I want to bring attention to the fact that open carry – whether rifle or pistol – is legal in Michigan."
