Gun Sales Brisk in Ferguson, MO Due to Riot Fears
Russ Chastain 11.20.14
Gun sales have reportedly grown to a very large extent in the area of Ferguson, MO, which has been the site of civil unrest and brutal attacks by police since a police officer shot and killed unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown on August 9, 2014.
A grand jury is currently deciding whether to indict officer Darren Wilson, who pulled the trigger on Brown. If he’s not indicted, many expect more protests and clashes between citizens and police. While peaceful protests are often reasonable and justified, some unhappy urban crowds have been known to become violent and begin beating and looting.
To protect themselves against that and other threats, area residents have been arming themselves in record numbers.
Concealed carry applications have jumped sharply. For example, the number of permits issued during the first 8 business days of November 2014 amounted to 53 more than were issued in all of November, 2013.
One gun shop owner–who protected his business with rifle and handgun during looting and has since moved his shop to a new location–said, “I’ve probably sold more guns this past month than all of last year.”
Another shop owner said he’s been averaging 30 to 50 gun sales per day, with about 60 percent of those going to first-time gun owners. His shop’s private lessons and concealed carry classes are already full for all of 2014 and into 2015.
We’re selling everything that’s not nailed down. Police aren’t going to be able to protect every single individual. If you don’t prepare yourself and get ready for the worst, you have no one to blame but yourself.
Unsettlingly, citizens are not the only ones gearing up for an armed clash. State troopers and feds from Department of Homeland Security reportedly have been patronizing an area business that specializes in selling tactical gear to government agencies. Though the seller is based online, local demand is apparently so high that agents have been buying straight from its warehouse.
A local Wal-Mart removed amunition from its shelves in an attempt to hide it from potential looters, but they have already sold most of it.
I hope for a peaceful conclusion to Ferguson, but with so many protesters seemingly just looking for an excuse to steal things and the government more than willing to abuse its police power to quash even the reporting of events, it seems likely that the story of Ferguson in 2014 isn’t over yet. At least more citizens now have the means to defend themselves against the senseless violence that often springs from such situations.
