Gun & Ammo Shop Opening Near Schools Spark Outrage In Somerset County

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“This type of store should not be open so close to a school. We are all so nervous,” said Vosk of fellow parents.

The new store is located .3 miles away from Van Derveer Elementary School, .5 miles from Kinder Kastle(a daycare), .8 miles from Good Shephard Church (which also has a daycare), and 1.3 miles from Adamsville Elementary School in Bridgewater.

“School shootings are a reality of our times. My 9-year-old recently asked me if they are building the new police station so close to the school so that they can protect them,” said Vosk.

Somerville is currently in the process of building a new headquarters for police and fire on Gaston Avenue which is slated to be completed this year.

“I understand gun owners have rights but families and parents have rights as well,” said Vosk.
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Another Somerville parent of a 22-month-old and teacher of elementary students, Caroline Flamos, said parents are terrified of the reality of a gun shop opening so close to children. She added the store is also near residential homes and .2 miles from the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.

“I am teaching little babies about lockdown drills and it’s heartbreaking,” said Flamos. “And then to open a gun and ammo shop within spitting distance of a primary school is terrifying.”

Flamos noted that in 2012 she won the Teacher of the Year award but it was the same day as the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut.

“That memory is much stronger than winning teacher of the year for me,” said Flamos.

Since learning about the news of the gun shop, Vosk launched a Facebook group Stop gun and ammo shop in Somerville, NJ to call attention to this.

The group now has 150 members and many are planning to attend the Somerville Council meeting on Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center at 24 Robeson St, Somerville, to voice their concerns.

“We recognize we may not be able to block this type of store no matter our personal feelings but feel strongly that these types of stores should not be this close to schools,” said Vosk.

The group is also planning to speak at the upcoming Somerville Zoning Board meeting on Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center.

Vosk noted that the number one killer of children in the United States is firearm fatalities.

Forbes reported that firearm fatalities have increased by 87.1 percent over a 10-year period, from 1,311 deaths in 2011 to 2,590 deaths in 2021, according to the American Association of Pediatrics in 2023.

“It’s not about gun ownership. We are not debating any of that,” said Vosk. “It doesn’t make sense to put an arsenal of guns within 1 mile of children.”

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