Business booming for Petaluma gun shop

PETALUMA, Calif. (KTVU) - Terrorist attacks in Paris, the Planned Parenthood shooting in Colorado and the most recent mass shooting in San Bernardino have put gun control back in the forefront as a hot-button issue, especially in America. However, at Sportsman’s Arms in Petaluma, the owner says the gun-selling business has been booming.

One customer, a Lake County man, says he was buying a handgun for protection, but he had another reason.

"Mainly due to the laws they are trying to change," said Ty Folk.
        
The run on guns at the shop began just after the San Bernardino shootings, according to owner Gabriel Vaughn.
 
"Two days ago, Tuesday was my singularly busiest day in 10 years in business," he said.

The shootings have sparked debate over tighter gun control laws. And that has sparked people to buy now what they fear could become illegal to get later.
 
Gun control advocates say the run on guns following mass shootings are the result of gun lobbies instilling fear in gun owners that by even having a public debate about "common sense gun safety reform, like requiring background checks on all gun sales is somehow really a Trojan horse for gun confiscation from law abiding citizens. To be clear that is a false fear," said Ari Freilich from the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 

The spike in recent gun sales isn't limited to the one shop.
         
California Department of Justice records show more than 30,000 guns were sold in the six days after the shooting, a 50 percent increase over the same time as last year.

"You tell people you want to take away their right to defend themselves and they come and buy," said Vaughn.