Gun sales in Missouri are booming, thanks to the impending Ferguson decision
Gun dealers in St. Louis, Missouri, have reported upticks in sales ahead of a grand jury's decision on whether to indict Darren Wilson, a white police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, on Aug. 9 in nearby Ferguson. The jury is reportedly close to concluding its three-month review of the case.
The Associated Press reports that sales are particularly high among first-time gun buyers.
One retailer, Metro Shooting Supplies, which is located near the main St. Louis airport, reported selling two to three times more weapons than average. The store is now selling 30 to 50 guns a day and has a waiting list filled into 2015 for concealed-carry training classes and private lessons.
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Other retailers told AP that their gun sales upticks are "comparable to the increases seen soon after Brown's death." The St. Louis County Police Department also reported a "sharp increase" in the county's concealed-carry permits since Brown's killing.
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Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
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