Earlier, however, more than two dozen gun rights supporters, some wearing pistols, camouflage or Connecticut Citizens Defense League T-shirts, showed up to show their support. The company said it had no participation in the event. Gun critics also turned out to voice their opposition.

Long after the store shut down around 4:30, people on both sides of the gun divide stayed outside in the heavy rain, the gun supporters standing on the left, many smoking cigarettes, and the gun opponents to the right, holding lighted candles.

“Little do these ignorant people know that we come in here every day for coffee, carrying our weapons,” said Tom Catalina, 64, of Newtown. “Starbucks has always been open about their support of the Second Amendment and our right to carry, whether open or concealed. Guns make people safer.”

The anti-gun crowd wound up getting their coffee and doughnuts from Dunkin’ Donuts down the road, and passed out pins that read, “Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.”

One of them was Barbara Kraushaar, 62, who lives around the corner from the home of Adam Lanza, the gunman who killed the students and school employees at Sandy Hook on Dec. 14. “Hey! Did you know you’re not allowed to smoke on Starbucks property?” she yelled to one of the men carrying a gun. “You don’t care about anything, just what pertains to you!”