Organizer Thomas Stalder of Atchison says he was amazed so many people showed up Saturday to an event he announced only a few days ago on Facebook. The Associated Press reports about a dozen spoke at the rally, most sharing the message that gun control violates their constitutional rights.  

Unseasonably mild temperatures approaching 60 degrees and the opening of a large gun show at the Kansas Expocentre that drew more than 1,000 people likely contributed to the crowd. But the fear that restrictions on assault rifles could lead to sharper curbs on handguns also was a unifying theme for the crowd.