CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s office gave away 50 gun locks to the public Saturday afternoon.

“We try to do this at least once, maybe twice a month, just to keep up with what’s going on in the communities, as well as updates of everything that’s going on with laws and things of that nature as well,” said Officer Randall Lee, with the community engagement office. 

Just days after the Nashville mass shooting that left seven people dead including the shooter, the North Carolina Republican-led legislature voted on Wednesday to override democratic Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of the bill. 

Cooper said in a statement “it would make it easier for “domestic abusers and other dangerous people” to access handguns and make it harder for law enforcement to stop those people from committing violent crimes.”  

The bill, SB 41, gets rid of the state’s longstanding permit system requiring sheriffs to perform character evaluations and criminal history checks of pistol applicants.

“For us to come in this tone-deaf about what happened in Nashville and to pretend that it doesn’t matter. To pretend that that might not be an issue that we’ve got to bring up is disturbing,” said Democrat State Rep. Robert Rieves, who represents District 54.

“They always politicize tragic, horrible events, to score petty political points. It’s almost expected now it feels like the role of gun control, supporting politicians to politicize things like this. And I, you know, I’m tired of it. I think the public is tired of it,” Republican State Sen. Jim Perry, who represents District 7. 

The deputies say the department tries to be as proactive as possible in keeping the community safe when it comes to guns.

“Our sheriff is very adamant of being proactive about things like this as far as gun safety because definitely during the holiday times is usually when we hear the most about guns, accidents, things of that nature. So it’s important that we try to get ahead of that thing before things like Nashville happen,” said Officer Lee.

The deputies say the lock is easy to use and only takes a short moment to put together and secure your gun.

Gun instructors not only suggest using the gun locks that come with the purchase of your firearm, but buying gun safes. 

“You know accidents happen. It’s better to be safe than sorry,” said Deputy Patrick Colson.