New Mexicans still adjusting to open carry law

Openly carrying a weapon is the law of the land in Texas now. Its been that way for decades in New Mexico–but even there, people are still adjusting.

Bryan Cain feels strongly about his right to carry and he wants everyone to know about it too. Cain is drawing attention for shouldering his shotgun everyday when he walks the streets of Anthony.

“My biggest question that people ask me is hey is that even legal?” Cain said. ” I want to be prepared for that situation in case someone does and they don’t know how to use it.”

“We’ve taken a number of calls of people. The officers that took the calls have to tell people it’s an open carry state and that it’s perfectly legal because a lot of people don’t understand that,” Anthony Police Chief Joe Baca said.

“A criminal is not going to tell you if they’re carrying or not, they’re gonna do what they want to do,” Cain said.

Chief Baca says it’s illegal to brandish a weapon. Something Cain says he experienced for the first time this week when he was walking along Main Steet. He says a man drove by, rolled down his window and waved a pistol at him, then drove off.

“It could’ve ended very different. But thank god it didn’t.

Cain filed a police report and says he’s more alert.

“It kind of frightens me it’s not going to deter me from open carry but it’s something I look out for now.”

Chief Baca says its unclear if the man did brandish his weapon and what his intentions were.