Concerned at QFC

[Coconuts]

Yesterday while shopping at QFC, I noticed their security guard open carrying with 2 additional magazines clipped to his belt.

At first I was scared, he wasn’t clearly marked as a QFC employee, making me think he was posing as a security guard to stage a mass shooting in the store. After all, what legitimate security guard needs to carry 30 rounds?

An employee confirmed that this is a security guard hired by QFC. So my question is- what prompted such ridiculous measures?

Is this QFC’s policy, or is this security guard taking his job a little to seriously- deciding to go ‘above and beyond’? Perhaps scarier- did someone at QFC management foresee a situation where their security guard would need to fire 30 rounds in their store? What must have happened in our neighborhood to prompt this?

The only reason why a security guard should shoot even one bullet in a store would be to stop a mass shooter- but by the looks of it, this guy is going to perpetrate a mass shooting before he prevents one.

I would be curious to know if other QFC shoppers feel safer knowing that the security guard could shoot 30 people at any moment.

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[charlesmasa]

What did the guard say when you asked him?
What did QFC say when you asked them?

You did ask them your questions right?

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[anonyme]

Which QFC? What makes me even more uncomfortable is the fact that mass shootings are now pretty much a daily event in this country. Frankly, I don’t feel safe anywhere anymore. My first reaction is to give kudos to QFC for getting ahead of this if that is indeed their reason for armed security. They’ve also had their share of armed robberies and rampant theft by menacing whackos, so there’s that. It’s also not reassuring to realize how many people are carrying concealed weapons, which would make any active shooter situation that much more confusing – and dangerous. People complain about living in a police state, but with nearly 394 million weapons in the hands of American civilians, that’s a rather weak point. Last, Charles makes a good point; per WSB rules, you are required to have taken up the issue with management before posting a rant here. It doesn’t sound like you did that.

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[Coconuts]

I did not speak to the guard. (As I mentioned in my original post, the guard was not clearly marked as a QFC employee.) I absolutely did speak to QFC management. I called them from home, since I felt uncomfortable being in the store with my 11 year old. The manager on duty told me that the security guard was from a company called Allied and that QFC contracts with them to provide store security. I asked him many of the questions I posed in my initial post. The manager did not seem very knowledgeable about why the security guard had so much ammunition. He took my number and was going to pass it along to someone to call me back. That was yesterday. More than 24 hours later, I have not heard back from QFC. I have not heard from anyone at Allied either.

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[Coconuts]

This was at the QFC location in the Alaska Junction (4550 42nd Ave SW).

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[aa]

He wasn’t marked as a QFC employee because he isn’t one. He is an Allied employee. I would be inclined to think the uniform, including gun, are more of a direct from the guards’ employer than QFC. If you want more information on why they assigned an armed guard to that location you might call Allied. I would also be interested to know why he didn’t have more of an ID of who he worked for on his uniform. I had an experience a few months ago where a security guard at a QFC got into an argument inside the store with someone, seemed like maybe a frequent shoplifter that he was telling to leave, and they really got into it. I found myself concerned that the person who was kicked out might come back with a gun. What a world we live in..

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[anonyme]

How many rounds should a “legitimate” security guard be allowed to carry? If they’re to be armed at all, what difference does it make? Are you saying that the security guard should not be armed? Should customers then be patted down before entry? To be clear, I’m not supporting gun culture; I’m just not sure I understand the reasoning behind your argument.

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[JustinVP]

Armed guards seem appropriate at places like QFC, if they deem it necessary. They’re screened, background checked, and trained. They’re there to cut down on crime and be a deterrent to criminals. That store can be sketchy, with a few folks acting menacing toward vulnerable appearing customers – my family had this experience first hand. I’m saying this as someone who is in favor of more effective firearms restrictions.

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[Mark32]

Thank you QFC.

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[Dandelion4]

I agree, good for QFC. This would make me feel safer not the other way around.

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