JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Three recent mass shootings that have made national headlines may be part of the reason why managers at a Jacksonville gun store say they are seeing a significant spike in customers.
Expert says mass shootings always remind people about protecting themselves and their family. But three high-profile mass shootings in a week may have encouraged a lot of people to get their conceal-carry permit.
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Last week, 22 people were killed at an El Paso, Texas, Walmart. Hours later, in Dayton, Ohio, nine people were killed outside a nightclub. Days before those shootings, four people were killed during a garlic festival in Gilroy, California.
Television images of the mass shootings had a profound impact on business at Green Acres Sporting Goods.
"We’ve seen a big uptick in people wanting to sign up for our concealed weapons class," Z. Farhat, gun sales manager at Green Acres Sporting Goods, said Friday,
Normally, weekday classes would bring in 10 people per class. But this week, according to the manager, they have been averaging double that amount.
"It’s on the news and it triggers people's brains. Maybe they have been wanting to get a conceal license and they’ve been putting it off or procrastinating," Farhat said. "Now, they feel now is the best time.”
In addition to conceal classes, according to Farhat, the store has also seen an increase this week in people buying guns for the first time. Crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson says this is the aftereffect of mass shootings.
“We’ve had 251 mass shootings in the United States since January. So, it does not surprise me with the most recent incidents that people are arming themselves," he said. "You never know when you may have to protect yourself or your family."
News about mass shootings isn’t the only thing bringing people into the store. The manager says recent cases of deadly gun violence in Jacksonville are also contributing to the uptick.
“They saw a story on the news or they know someone who had a violent crime committed against them," Farhat said.
The manager added that Green Acres Sporting Goods is suddenly seeing a lot of people walk in just to inquire about guns and conceal classes -- many of whom have never owned or held a gun.