Georgia sheriff holds raffle to 'give gun away'

CARROLL COUNTY, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - A Georgia sheriff is sponsoring a raffle that will award guns to citizens.

Carroll County Sheriff Terry Langley acknowledges the action set for the entire month of September has sparked some backlash.

The reason can be seen in the headlines of mass casualty events in other parts of the nation.

Langley, in an interview, says his county understands why he is doing the raffle. "This is gun country," Langley said.

The sheriff said individuals who use a weapon to spray rounds at a soft target, like a Walmart, are either evil or have mental issues.

Langley said it is not the weapon that is the problem.

The sheriff's department is using $12,000 of county funds to purchase new weapons for the raffle. With a $50 ticket, the purchaser will be placed in a drawing during the month of September.

The winner will have to go to a gun store and fill out federal paperwork just like anyone else.

The sheriff says the 2018 raffle made a $25,000 profit that was used for county youth programs.