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A county in New York is telling people to carry guns

Julia La RocheDec 4, 2015, 00:54 IST

New York's Ulster County's Sheriff's Office sent out a memo on Thursday encouraging the county's residents to carry guns in the wake of the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California.

"In light of recent events that have occurred in the United States and around the world I want to encourage citizens of Ulster County who are licensed to carry a firearm to PLEASE DO SO," Sheriff Paul J. VanBarcum wrote.

Two suspects shot 31 people at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino on Wednesday. Fourteen people died in the massacre.

Ulster County, which is located in the Hudson Valley area, has a population of just over 180,000, according to the latest US Census data.

A representative from the sheriff's office confirmed to Business Insider that the memo is real.

Here's the letter (via @Ivanlajara):

Ulster County Sheriff's Office