A Houston gun shop's radio commercial advising residents to arm themselves against Hurricane Katrina evacuees is drawing fire from black activists

KWTX:

Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in August of last year, forcing several hundred thousand Louisiana residents to flee to Texas.

An estimated 120,000 are still in the Houston area.

Gun shop owner and radio talk-show host Jim Pruett started running the ad a few weeks ago.

He says he heard a TV interview with a Katrina evacuee living in Houston who implied he'd have to turn to crime if his government assistance ran out.

At a community meeting Thursday night, the activists blasted negative stereotypes of evacuees created by Pruett's ad.

They also criticized news reports they believe portray all evacuees as criminals.

An aide to Houston Mayor Bill White says Pruett has made his career as a "shock jock" and is using the tactic to sell guns.

Tensions Rise in Houston Over Evacuees