SOUTHAVEN, Miss. — Gun stores across the Mid-South are anticipating an increase in sales after President Joe Biden called for new gun control measures in the wake of Monday’s mass shooting in Colorado.
Biden called on Congress to ban assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines as well as approve two bills closing loopholes for background checks.
At Bullfrog Corner Pawn and Guns in Southaven, gun sales have been up since the start of the pandemic. Owner Danny Metcalf said sales got another boost after the results of last year’s election.
“We got a Democrat in and that’s got a lot to do with it. A lot of people scared of what’s going on. We’ve got a lot of first-time buyers coming out,” Metcalf said.
Now he’s banking on even more gun sales after Biden’s announcement.
“Any time they mention banning guns, banning magazines, it happens: sales goes up,” said Metcalf.
Other gun stores told WREG that while they hadn’t experienced a sales increase on Tuesday, they expect one later in the week.
Biden’s proposals have the support of gun law reform advocates like Kat McRitchie with the group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
But McRitchie worries about state-level measures such as the bill that would allow Tennesseans to carry guns without a permit.
“You can responsibly own a gun and practice common sense in how you carry it in public places,” said McRitchie.
For McRitchie, common sense includes stricter background checks.
“This is the best chance in 25 years of common sense gun control,” she said.
