NGAC is based in Chicago, Illinois, and headed by Elliot Fineman, who "became active in gun control causes after his son was shot and killed in a San Diego restaurant in 2006 by a mentally ill man wielding a legally purchased handgun.

"[2] In 2010, the Brady Campaign proposed a boycott of Starbucks due to their gun policy.

[3] At that time, Starbucks released a statement saying "We comply with local laws and statutes in all the communities we serve.

The political, policy and legal debates around these issues belong in the legislatures and courts, not in our stores.

"[4] In 2012, the National Gun Victims Action Council published an open letter to Starbucks, asking them to revise their policy, and also proposed a "Brew not Bullets" boycott of the chain until the policy is changed, with Valentine's Day selected as a particular day to boycott the chain.