AZ specific - Carrying guns vs school event

Question
Hello. I do not mean this to be a 'legal' question, just one that clarifies what I've already read.

In AZ I open carry and CCW & follow the laws. Recently I was helping my son's school band wrap packages outside of KMart. Out of courtesy I was *not* carrying at all. However, one of the other parents "wanted to make sure (I) didn't have (my) piece". They contend that you can't carry at a 'School Event'.  
However, from everything I've read, the only state that specifically prohibits carrying at a 'school event' is Wyoming.  Further, since the Band Boosters' club (who sponsors the gift wrapping) is a private entity working without a permit on someone else's property, it's my understanding they have no Standing to prohibit anything.
Here's where I obtained SOME of my info:
http://dmfirearmsacademy.com/azconcealedcarryrestrictions.htm

If you could point me towards further readings or even just give me your opinion, I would appreciate it.  

Answer
Hello Scott.

I am not a resident of Arizona and I am not an attorney so I can't give you a factual or definitive answer to your question. I will provide my personal opinion which is only worth what you paid ($0.00) and I will also give you a reference that may help.

My opinion:

The laws which you need to be concerned about include federal, state, county, and city. I am not aware of any federal laws which prohibit legal firearms carry at school-sponsored functions; however I believe there are some federal laws against carrying firearms on certain properties including federal courts, military bases, post offices, and schools.

If you were on public or private land where firearms carry was not restricted by federal law then you should only have to worry about your local laws. Unfortunately some states and other areas allow property owners to prohibit firearms carry on their properties simply by posting a sign or written policy at their own discretion. Such signs or policies may not be visible or known to you but they could still create a legal problem for you. In the past Kmart has enacted numerous anti-firearm policies such as the banning of handgun ammunition sales and eventually the removal of many firearms products from their chain entirely. I believe Kmart has since been purchased by Sears who also had removed firearms entirely from their chain many years ago so it wouldn't surprise me to see Kmart or Sears posting a policy against firearms carry on their properties. You would need to check with their corporate offices or legal departments to be sure.

Assuming that there were no federal or local laws against firearms carry for the property in question then I would expect you to be well within your right to carry on that property if you choose to do so. Private companies or other organizations may have their own policies against firearms usage or possession but you would not be bound by those policies unless you were an employee or you were under some other legal contract or obligation to those organizations. Even if you were an employee or agent of the organizations in question it would still not be illegal for you to carry, it would only be a violation of their policy and their enforcment would be limited to such acts as suspension or termination according to their policies and any applicable labor laws.

So in summary I would guess that you were in the clear legally but you won't really know for sure until you check all of the relevant laws and factors mentioned above. Regardless of your legal status I do have several other opinions for you:

- Never carry openly whether it is legal or not. This advertises the fact that you have a firearm which in turn draws attention to you and the firearm. Most of this attention will be neutral or nothing more than a second-glance from curious but law-abiding citizens, however there will also be some negative and potentially very dangerous attention from criminals or even law enforcement agents if you are caught up in the wrong circumstances. There is no clear benefit to open carry so just don't do it. If you have to show a firearm to deter trouble then you are in the wrong area or situation and you should leave rather than trying to stay and assert control, which in most cases you do not have the legal right to do unitl your life is in jeopardy and by then it is already too late. It might make you feel a little more comfortable, confident, secure, bold, etc. and there are a small number of people who would enjoy the extra attention but after many years of carry, reading, training, and research I am a firm believer that open carry is just a bad idea whether it is legal or not.

- Never tell anyone whether or not you are carrying. In fact you should avoid discussing it at all unless you have a specific situation which requires it. Nobody else needs to know that you are armed except perhaps your spouse or immediate family members that are accompanying you. By informing friends, coworkers, neighbors, acuqaintances, bystanders, etc. that you are armed you are exposing yourself to additional scrutiny, some of which may be negative and have similar drawbacks to open carry. You don't know these other people nearly as well as you know your family and they don't know you very well, so you just can't be sure how each of you will react in a tense situation that could quickly go bad. You don't want the other parties to disclose your carry status, anticipate or instigate your reaction to a defensive situation, avoid you, or feel uncomfortable around you so keep it to yourself. When carrying around your family members make sure they also know how you will react under certain situations and what they are to do before, during, and after you react.

Now for the factual reference:

The following site contains the official legal code for the Arizona Revised Statutes. You can search and browse it to read all of the relevant firearms information to determine for yourself what is legal in your state. Don't forget to also check any relevant county and city laws for your area.

http://www.azleg.state.az.us/ArizonaRevisedStatutes.asp

I hope this information was helpful. If you are still concerned or have other questions then I recommend that you contact a qualified attorney in your area.

Good luck, God bless, and stay safe!

Bob