Three local sheriffs, including Wake County's Donnie Harrison, took part in the minutemen's discussions in Zebulon. The meeting came just hours after President Obama unveiled his gun control plans.
A boiling point in the meeting came about midway through. When dozens inside and dozens more outside of the Fargo Cattle Company Steakhouse bristled about a possibility that the federal government could violate their Second Amendment rights.
"I don't think that was answered correctly, or really answered at all," said Wake County resident Jamie Miller.
"What we didn't hear is that it doesn't matter what they say, we're not going to come and get your guns," said Wayne County resident Adam Drissel.
What those in attendance heard repeatedly from Sheriffs Jerry Jones, Carey Winders and Donnie Harrison, respectively from Franklin, Wayne and Wake counties, was very similar.
"I'll quit first, but nobody's going to take your guns," said Harrison.
"I don't see any sheriff going house to house taking weapons," said Winders. "Folks, there's more people here than I got deputies. I'm going to tell you that."
Concern from meeting organizers, the Moccasin Creek Minutemen, and private citizens coincidentally comes the same day as the president's executive order banning assault weapons and toughening background checks.
"I don't think it's going to go as far as people think or thinking it will because let's face it, you're not getting mine," said Wake County resident Adam Page. "I'm not giving them up. I'm 28-years-old. Good luck."
Each sheriff pledged to uphold the U.S. Constitution, but stopped short of addressing a hypothetical scenario. Instead, they urged the gun advocates to take their passions to lawmakers.
"I think there's a process that we can do that by uniting and working with the laws and work with people to let them know what our concerns are," said Jones.
The Moccasin Creek Minutemen had been planning the meeting for a few weeks.
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