On the gun issue, I will say, he is a flipping fool for telling people this. It isn't information that needed to be shared with anyone.
I grew up in the south, pro-gun family. I learned to shoot squirrels out of our pecan trees, allowing the barrel of the rifle to sit on the porch rail because I was too small to hold the other end. I was the best shot of my family and dreamed for the day to become a sharp shooter.
Life gets in the way, parents refused to allow me to sign up at 17 for the military, etc. I carried for a long time but once I had kids, I put my guns under lock and keys and they have stayed here.
I would challenge Asa every day of the week to a shoot match. I can already tell that he doesn't even know how to hold a stance, when shooting. So, it wouldn't be hard. I guarantee he taught GB too. Which means they make a fool out of themselves at the shooting range, in front of others that know what they are actually doing...
As far as him carrying, I would have a huge issue with it, as his first concern should be on protecting and keeping Abbie safe and he cannot do that, with a gun in his hand. Abbie is a live trigger and needs someone with both hands free and full body, to protect, guide, instruct, etc. Like I said, we all know Priscilla would run for her own life and be d@**ed if anything happened to Abbie. It is a reason my guns are up.
I couldn't protect my kids and get my gun and use it, at the same time. Protecting a child with special needs, isn't like protecting a NT child that will follow orders and what you say the first time, in stressful situations. It is almost the opposite and they won't listen or cannot follow through because of the stressful situation. I have my dedication to my kids and their safety comes first and is paramount. If they got a hold of my gun, for any reason, that would kill me. Mine are much higher functioning than Abbie too but we have only very minimally approached gun safety with them because of infatuations that those topics can have.
I am all for guns but when dealing with hands that are already full, you really have to put it into perspective of, "what can this person really do, under this stressful of a situation and is having a gun going to be a good thing or a bad thing? Are they going to be able to actual control the situation and use the weapon? and if not, could the weapon be turned around and used against them?" Sadly, in Asa's situation, I could actually see the later being done and that is what would really scare everyone.