DUNCAN, Okla. — Stephens County Sheriff Wayne McKinney issued a statement on social media Monday night directed at conceal carry permit holders to carry their weapons in case of a terrorist attack. 

“Our county is small in numbers and I feel that we are unlikely to be targeted by these evil people. However, over the last few years the citizens of Stephens County has seen the evil committed by criminals in our communities,” McKinney wrote.  “As your Sheriff, I encourage all who are legally, eligible, and trained to carry concealed weapons to do so. I do not want any of us to be helpless victims if we should fall under attack … we, as armed citizens, can mitigate the damage.”

During an interview with The Duncan (Okla.) Banner, McKinney said he had been thinking about writing the statement after seeing other sheriffs across the country issue similar statements, including Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Paul Van Blarcum in Hudson County, Upstate New York and Sheriff Wayne Ivey in Brevard County, Florida.

As of Wednesday morning, the post had been liked 3,548 times, shared 3,111 times and had received 211 comments, most of which praised the sheriff’s decision.

McKinney said in the statement the recent attacks in San Bernardino, California made it evident the nation was under attack from terrorists.

“These people have vowed under their religion to destroy all who do not follow their beliefs,” McKinney wrote. “We do not know when, we do not know where, and we do not know how many will come. We also do not know the style of attack that will be chosen next.”

During the interview, McKinney said an attack can happen at any time and it can be done by people who have taken aspects of any religion too far, not only Islam. 

“We’re talking about people that don’t like us because what we believe in or just because we are Americans,” he said. “There’s radicals even in the Christian faith. For someone to go into an abortion clinic and kill people just because they are against abortion, those people are terrorists in my opinion.”

McKinney reiterated that the conceal carry permit class was just the beginning of training and people should seek further knowledge to be able to control their weapons.

“A person that makes the decision to carry a lethal weapon with them, for the their protection and the protection of their families .. they need to take that extremely seriously,” he said. “People need to seek out that training. Go out and practice every month. Become a marksman. Once they get to that level, I’m asking them to … carry a weapon for their protection and the protection of their family.”

He further stated it was the responsibility of the police to protect the public, but said his deputies can’t be everywhere all the time. 

“We’ve changed the way that we respond to an active shooter situation,” he said. “Once we get two or three people there, we’re going after the shooter. If you had someone in there with a concealed weapon, they can save a bunch of lives.”

Keith Stewart, certified National Rifle Association instructor and owner of Firearm Solutions, a gun store and range that offers concealed carry classes twice a month, agrees with McKinney.

“I think he is right on point,” he said. “We can no longer depend on law enforcement to be there in the split second when we need them. We’re going to have to take matters into our own hands and try to defend ourselves. (My conceal carry classes) are full until Jan. 20. My classes are already full since the shooting in California. I’m looking to add another one this month and another next month. I might have to go to three a month.”

Stewart said those who want to carry weapons should do it in a safe manner, train with their weapons and do it legally.

“Number one, it’s unlawful to carry a gun without taking the class or having a permit,” he said. “(People) need to know the legality of using deadly force. They need to know what their rights and obligations are to using deadly force. What I teach in my class is highly important. If they can’t hit the target they face a higher amount of liability. If they miss their intended target and hurt an innocent person, they will face those consequences. It’s important to practice, to train and it’s important to be able to hit the intended target.”

Christian Betancourt writes for the The Duncan (Okla.) Banner.