This actually isn't a very difficult problem to solve.
#1. Find new friends.
#2. Depending on where you live, concealed carry license holders
may be able to bring loaded firearms into gun shows, as long as they agree to keep them concealed, and not display them for sale while loaded.
#3. If you insist on keeping this special needs friend, you can explain to him that the differences between the types of people who would have weapons at each location, as well as the reasons for having them at each location, are extraordinary.
Theaters and schools would have nothing but concealed carry license holders (carrying weapons) that have had background checks performed, at least a rudimentary education (likely more) on firearms and their proper handling, and everything else that goes along with obtaining a concealed carry license. Gun shows, in contrast, have all kinds of people:
- Those with licenses
- Those without licenses
- Those experienced with firearms
- Those with no experience with firearms
- Those with just enough experience to be very dangerous
AND
- As your friend proves, they even let anti-gun people in.
The purpose of having guns in theaters and schools would be for protection, the purpose for having guns at a gun show is for selling guns. During the course of making a sale, all of the above types of people may disassemble and reassemble various guns, will almost certainly handle and point guns, and will typically even dry fire several of them. Mixing loaded and unloaded guns when/where dry firing will occur is generally frowned upon by even the most responsible of people, (in fact, the more responsible, the more it is frowned upon!) which is why even in areas that allow CCW holders to keep loaded guns on them, they are asked to keep them concealed and holstered unless that gun is about to be shown for sale, in which case it will have to be unloaded.
So the cliffs notes are:
Considering the varying types of people that go to shows, the intent of the shows, and the actions that occur there, there is
absolutely no comparison between bringing loaded weapons into a gun show to display, handle, and sell - vs. bringing concealed weapons into a theatre or school where they will only be handled in the case of a dire emergency.
If he doesn't get it after that, refer again to #1.