By STELLA KIM / SKIM@SOUNDPUBLISHING.com

SILVERDALE – A man armed with a rifle and a shotgun who decided to sit outside military recruiting stations near Bucklin Hill Road July 20 was asked by law enforcement officers to keep the weapons out of sight.

The man’s intention was to protect the recruiting offices, in response to the killing of four Marines and a Navy sailor at a recruiting station in Chattanooga, Tennessee, last week.

The man, thought to be around 20 years old, had been sitting in a beach chair next to a U.S. flag when deputies arrived to the location at around 1:23 p.m. The man complied with the officers’ request.

It was confirmed that the man had the right to carry his weapons, yet he was beginning to worry people. The man was asked by police to put his weapons in his vehicle.

In many different cities around the country, armed civilians have been standing guard at military recruiting offices.

A similar incident happened on July 21 at a Spanaway Army recruiting office when two men stood near the building carrying AR-15 rifles.

According to the Marine Corps Times, Capt. Jim Stenger, a Marine Corps public affairs officer, said the assistance wasn’t needed at recruiting offices.

“While we greatly appreciate the support of the American public during this tragedy, we ask that citizens do not stand guard at our recruiting offices,” Stenger said in an emailed statement.

“Our continued public trust lies among our trained first responders for the safety of the communities where we live and work.”