El Paso Gun Sales Double, Gun Class Attendance Skyrockets After Mass Shooting
General manager of Gun Central notes huge increase in gun sales
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Following the recent tragic mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, the number of people attending concealed carry classes has skyrocketed, according to the general manager of Gun Central, one of the biggest gun stores in the city.
"I have over 50 for this Saturday['s] class and approximately the same amount for the Sunday class, and I normally have approximately seven," Michael McIntyre told Reuters.
McIntyre says Gun Central's sales doubled during the week after the mass shooting, which never happened after previous mass killings in Texas.
"We actually had two people buy guns here who were actually in the Walmart on the day of the shooting," McIntyre told the outlet.
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"The other people are just saying, 'Hey, you know I want to be able to protect myself in the event of something going on.'"
Guadalupe Segovia was in attendance at the class with her two children, telling Reuters that her husband had been urging her for a long time to get a concealed carry license.
Segovia said the shooting gave her sense of urgency:
"I'm still going to be scared, even carrying a weapon."
But according to Reuters, the vast majority of class attendees were Hispanic.
But Segovia also told the outlet she wants laws that make it harder for young people to get guns.
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"I think weapons should be a privilege and for safety, not to go and kill people," she said.
More from Reuters:
Gun control is definitely not on the horizon for Texas, where Governor Greg Abbot recently signed into law nine bills, backed by the National Rifle Association, that will loosen up gun regulations starting on Sept. 1.
One of the new laws lifts a ban on carrying firearms in places of worship.
That ban came after a gunman fatally shot 26 people at a church in Sutherland Springs. Another stops landlords from prohibiting firearms on their rental properties.
Last week, Mexico threatened to sue the United States for failing to protect Mexican citizens during this weekend's horrific mass shooting in El Paso, Texas.
Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard calls the shooting "an act of terrorism" against Mexicans and is urging the US government to establish a "clear and convincing position against hate crimes."
