Some residents surrounding the Ferguson area have taken matters into their own hands while awaiting the jury’s verdict on whether to indict Darren Wilson for the murder of unarmed teen Michael Brown.
According to the Huffington Post, local gun stores have seen sales rise with many customers being first time buyers. The news comes as Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) declared the a state of emergency on Monday and the Ku Klux Klan sent out flyers threatening to use lethal force against protestors:
Metro Shooting Supplies, which is located near Ferguson, usually sells 30 to 40 firearms per week. But this week, the owner told The Washington Post, the store has sold 250. In other words, there has been about a 700 percent spike in sales.
“These people are afraid,” said owner Steve King. “One hundred percent of them are buying because of Ferguson.”
Defensor Tactical is a firearms shop in St. Louis that does a significant amount of business in body armor and custom rifles. John Heidbrink, an employee at the store, told The Huffington Post that Defensor Tactical has also seen an increase in sales lately.
“We’re a smaller shop in a small section of St. Louis, but we have a constant flow of business,” he said. “Our volume of sales has definitely increased — not to the order of what we saw right after Sandy Hook, but it’s definitely a constant flow. Lot of interest.”
Heidbrink added that many of the stores’ customers include firemen, police officers, and conservatives who are more than likely in support of Darren Wilson.
Recently, Michael Brown’s father, Michael Brown Sr., urged protestors to voice their rights peacefully since the opposition is expecting the worst after the jury’s decision.
“Just calling for a peace,” he tells USA Today in Geneva over the weekend. “[We] don’t need no more black lives hurt, don’t need no more murders right now because they’re waiting. They’re sitting down waiting. I know it’s hard for all of us but stay peaceful.”
The court’s decision is expected to be revealed sometime this week.
SOURCE: Huffington Post | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty | VIDEO CREDIT: News Inc.
