Today, November 21st, would have been Sgt. Anthony “Tony” Beminio’s 39th birthday. Beminio was ambushed and murdered the morning of November 2nd, 2016. Investigators believe he was murdered by Scott Michael Greene of Urbandale. Greene is also charged in the murder of Justin Martin, an Urbandale police officer.

Beminio was a veteran police officer, SWAT team member and respected member of the Des Moines community. Beminio was also a Second Amendment advocate and part of the IFC family. He believed strongly in the people’s right to keep and bear arms. He stood alongside the thousands of IFC members using our email Advocacy Campaigns as we pushed for legalizing suppressors, and making Permit to Carry information private in Iowa.

The news of Sgt. Beminio and Officer Martin’s murders hit most everyone in the State of Iowa very hard. We all received a jarring reminder that evil is everywhere and ready to strike when we least expect it. Once we realized Tony was one of the victims, one of our own, the entire IFC leadership team immediately set to work doing what we could to make sure his family and the Martin family knew we had their backs. Tony was one of thousands of Iowa law enforcement officials who recognized and valued the Second Amendment and supported our cause. We’re eternally grateful to be able to call Tony part of the IFC family.

For the past several weeks we’ve been using our industry contacts to assemble a fundraiser for the Beminio and Martin families. We’re shoring up some of the final details, but we’re proud to say that some of the biggest names in the firearms industry have stepped up to help us. We’ll be releasing the details shortly.

In the meantime, Tony, happy birthday brother. From the bottom of our hearts thank you for your years of dedication. To your family. To your community. To IFC and our efforts protect the freedoms of all Iowans. We know you had our backs every single day, and now it’s our turn to help watch over your loved ones. You’re absolutely not forgotten, rest in peace good friend.

Iowa Firearms Coalition is an entirely volunteer, grassroots, Second Amendment advocacy group. Responsible for bringing uniformity to Iowa’s Concealed Weapons Permitting process, IFC’s members work to protect and enhance Second Amendment rights in Iowa. An affiliate of the National Rifle Association, the IFC actively seeks to foster and promote the shooting sports. Sign up for our email list for the latest on Second Amendment issues in Iowa. You can support our work by becoming a member, or making a donation.