Gun Club Distances Itself From Militia

Gun club leaders say they are angry with the United States Militia Association for staging a target shoot in front of news reporters at the club’s shooting range.

“The militia did not have permission to be out there and neither did the media,” said Jerome Rod and Gun Club vice president John Weston, Sr., on Wednesday.

Touted as a national training session for militia women, last Friday’s shooting practice with human-silhouette targets drew more reporters and photographers than markswomen.

Since then, the club has been battling the unwanted publicity.

“We, the Jerome Rod and Gun Club, want to make it very clear that we do not belong (to) nor support any militia and they did not have approval,” Weston said.

Gun club member Max Harkness of Twin Falls had only asked the club president if Harkness could borrow a “couple of target stands to use at the range,” Weston said. “But he said nothing about the militia being out there.”

Association head Samuel Sherwood of Blackfoot said that state militia leader Bill Tuttle of Twin Falls had arranged the target shoot.

Tuttle in turn said Harkness had made arrangements.

Crews from from ABC-TV’s “Good Morning America,” Mademoiselle magazine, a Seattle video company and The Times-News covered the practice.