Descendent of benefactor threatens to sue over guns in Tanglewood Park

Noah Reynolds, a former candidate for Winston-Salem City Council, said he is considering bringing a lawsuit against Forsyth County to challenge a policy recently adopted to allow people to carry concealed weapons in Tanglewood Park near Clemmons.

"I have reached out to an attorney to see their thoughts and if they would handle this case," Reynolds told YES! Weekly. "I am not trying to attack our county commissioners. I just do not like or believe that Forsyth County can cite Raleigh law as a defense for voting for concealed weapons in Tanglewood Park. And further, that unless open carry is allowed too, or concealed and open banned, that this violates my Second Amendment right to bear arms openly in Tanglewood Park."

Reynolds' great grand uncle, William Neal Reynolds, donated the park to the county in 1951.

Reynolds requested that the Forsyth County Commission reword a county ordinance to either allow no guns or both concealed carry and open carry in Tanglewood Park in an e-mail on Wednesday.

"My preference is that you ban concealed weapons or guns of any kind in the park, except for officers of the law, like it was before the Raleigh law passed," he said. "It is my belief that the law in Raleigh 'allows' but not 'requires' Forsyth County to allow concealed carry permit holders into the park. If you allow concealed you must also allow open carry under the Second Amendment or you can ban concealed weapons citing that either Raleigh allows or does not require you to do so.

"Concealed carry is not a protected right under the Second Amendment," the letter continues. "States can ban concealed carry within their borders so concealed carry holders have less rights than an open carry gun holder who cannot be denied the right to open carry in any state, so to say that concealed carry and not open carry is allowed in Tanglewood Park means that Forsyth County is saying that my fundamental right to bear arms and protect myself is dependent on getting a concealed-carry permit which subjugates my protected Second Amendment right to a concealed carry holder who is not protected under the Second Amendment. Thus, my right to bear arms is now not protected anymore. This is the path to allowing government to require you to get a permit and give up your Second Amendment right protection."