If you live in St. Louis, be prepared for the worst.
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has declared a state of emergency and called out the National Guard in advance of an expected decision by the grand jury in the police shooting death of suspected Ferguson robber Michael Brown, and gun shops in the St. Louis area are selling everything they can get their hands on.
Metro Shooting Supplies, in an area near the city’s main airport, reports selling two to three times more weapons than usual in recent weeks — an average of 30 to 50 guns each day — while the jury prepares to conclude its three-month review of the case that sparked looting and weeks of sometimes-violent protests in August.
“We’re selling everything that’s not nailed down,” owner Steven King said. “Police aren’t going to be able to protect every single individual. If you don’t prepare yourself and get ready for the worst, you have no one to blame but yourself.”
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Other gun dealers say their sales spikes are comparable to the increases seen soon after Brown’s death on Aug. 9.
“I’ve probably sold more guns this past month than all of last year,” said County Guns owner Adam Weinstein, who fended off looters last summer at his storefront on West Florissant Avenue, the roadway that was the scene of many nightly protests. Weinstein stood guard over his business with an assault rifle and pistol.
Read more: Bearing Arms
