Gun sales have surged in the region and across the nation in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre as enthusiasts rush to buy firearms they fear will be outlawed by a fresh push for gun control.
Gun dealers requested nearly 5,150 background checks on purchasers in Virginia eight days after the Dec. 14 shootings in Newtown, Conn. — the largest number ever in a single day, Virginia State Police said.
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“I’ve never seen shelves so bare in stores that weren’t going out of business,” said John Pierce, co-founder of OpenCarry.org, a Virginia-based gun rights networking hub. “It’s really shocking.”
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With an AK-47 slung over one shoulder, Marco Hernandez offered one word when asked why he was in the overflow crowd at the gun show, billed as the largest east of the Mississippi.
“Obama,” he said, standing in front of the Expo Center. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the possible gun ban.”
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The surge in sales troubles some who advocate stricter gun regulations. They said an increase in firearms won’t make people safer; in fact, they said, owning a firearm places a person in greater danger.
“The mind-set is, ‘If only I had a gun, I would be safer,’ ” said Andy Goddard, president of the Virginia Center for Public Safety. “It’s a gut instinct, but it’s not based on what the data we have available tells us.”
