Bob Strickley

The Cincinnati Enquirer

PIKETON, Ohio — "If you are fearful, arm yourself. If you feel you need to protect yourself or your family, do so."

Pike County (Ohio) Sheriff Charles Reader's Sunday comments to his county's residents may have caused a collective raising of an eyebrow from the national audience after the mass killing April 22. Locally, however, it wasn't considered a gaffe or even the first time a high-ranking Pike County official said or did something curious regarding firearms.

The Appalachian hills of Pike County and neighboring Adams, Scioto and Ross counties are home to many hunters and gun enthusiasts. The rural surroundings and dense forests make for a suitable, and arguably safer, setting for firearm buffs.

"I think a lot of people have experience with guns here because they hunt from an early age," said Michael Crabtree, a commissioner of neighboring Scioto County. "Many people I grew up with were introduced to guns at a young age. They would hunt groundhog, squirrel or venison and at the end of the day, the stuff you'd hunt would be on the dinner table."

Crabtree, like many residents of the four aforementioned counties, has a concealed carry permit and a nearly lifelong connection with guns.

"When I was a kid, our dad taught us how to use guns and the different safety practices of gun ownership," Crabtree said. "We didn't have the problems we have now. It was a different life. When people went to town, they left the doors unlocked."

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The events in Pike County a week ago and a Jan. 4 unsolved double homicide in Minford, a town of 693 in Crabtree's Scioto County, have given rise to his caution.

"I'm not going to allow someone to do bodily harm to me or my wife," he said.

Arkoe Outdoors, an outdoor supply and firearm store less than 4 miles from the scene of the April 22 shootings, has seen an uptick in calls despite it not being hunting season. Pike County gun stores are seeing and hearing from residents sharing Crabtree's concern.

"We've had much more calls despite only being open a few days a week," said Danny Waulk, an employee of the store. "People seem much more concerned."

Williams Gun Shop, a custom work and service store outside Waverly, has also heard from customers after the eight shooting deaths a week ago.

"These days everyone's got an opinion, but the general conversation is much more concerned. The tone has changed," said Wes Williams, an employee of the store for 30 years. "There's nothing compared to this. When it's this close to home, it's different."

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In Pike County, 1,515 concealed carry permits were issued from 2011 through 2015, according to data from the Ohio Attorney General's Office. In that same period, 348 permits were renewed. Neighboring Adams County saw 930 permits issues and 630 renewed.

Ross County had 2,177 permits issued and 1,142 renewed. Scioto County saw 3,498 permits issued and 2,242 renewed in that same window.

Combined, the population of those four counties is approximately 212,500 people, according to the latest census data.

When compared to Warren County in suburban Cincinnati, which has a population of 219,169 and is considered one of the more conservative counties in the state, residents of this four-county Appalachian region are far more likely to have a gun strapped to their hip or elsewhere.

In that same 5-year window, Warren County had 6,748 concealed carry permits issued and 4,172 renewed. The four-county group? A total of 8,120 permits issued and 4,363 renewed.

Portsmouth, a city of a little more than 20,000 people and the seat of Scioto County, is emblematic of Appalachia in more ways than just firearms.

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With guns in this region, it's all a matter context, Portsmouth City Councilman Kevin W. Johnson said.

"Hunting vs. simple possession of a firearm is a little different," said Johnson. "It's a matter of pride here. Your introduction to guns at a younger age is the same sort of thing as a kid first getting a license to drive."

Still, there are reservations about the advice Reader delivered to Pike County residents in front of the national media Sunday.

"How you protect your family is a personal choice," Crabtree said. "A lot of people are giving the Pike County Sheriff negative press, but if they were personally affected by this tragedy, they might have a different opinion."

Portsmouth council member Johnson said he would have taken a different approach to assuaging the fears of area residents.

"My initial reaction is that the statement is a projection of fear and a reinforcement," Johnson said. "I regret that he felt the need to say something like that given everything that has been released to the public about the crime. Were I in his shoes, I would not have tried to exacerbate the fear that exists in the community. In fact, I would have done the opposite and done everything I could to tamp it down."

Contributing: Jona Ison, Chillicothe (Ohio) Gazette. Follow Bob Strickley on Twitter: @rjstrickleyjr

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