Firearm purchases spike in wake of shootings

Gun sales have spiked in wake of recent shootings. In fact, the number of people applying for a concealed weapon permits and buying firearms have doubled this month in some areas in the Gem State.

Some feel the gun is the killer, others say the shooter

David Kynoch, champion long range shooter, said, “I feel like that most of these mass shooters are pretty cowardly, that’s why they choose gun-free zones.”

Background checks for gun sales have hit a record high for the fifth month in a row. Firearm trainers say this increase means more concealed weapons training.

Dennis Grover, trainer at Rocky Mountain Defense, said, “Most of it, it’s a mindset that has changed somewhat because people are starting to understand that if you want to be protected you have to rely upon yourself.”

They say police can only do so much, and response time is a factor in these shootings.

“The most recent shooting they were there within five minutes and yet all the damage was already done,” Grover said. “With everything going on nowadays it’s important to be able to defend yourself because the police 80 percent of the time won’t show up in time to protect you.”

Would the outcome be different if more people were trained to conceal and carry?

“I can guarantee you it would be a lot different,” Grover said. “As I’ve heard those poor victims talk about how all they could do was cower on the floor and beg for their lives. And that person showed absolutely no mercy no matter how much begging. If there would have been people in that classroom that had been trained to know what to do the outcome would have been different. There would possibly still have been loss of life, but certainly not as much. These people are looking for some notoriety. They would think twice about going into a situation if they knew there was going to be armed people.”

Canyon County Sheriff’s Office officials said they have received 60 first-time concealed weapons permits sinceO ct. 1, the day of the Oregon college shooting.