Gun purchases on the rise in Wayne County
By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on July 6, 2016 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Bobby Griffin looks down the barrel of a rifle at Four Seasons Sports Friday while being helped by owner Ben Sauls. Griffin said, "I've had guns since I was 8 or 9 years old and I've never had to pull one on anybody."
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
An employee straightens a handgun in a display case at Four Seasons Sports.
Gun control and the role of the Second Amendment are hot-button topics on the campaign trail this year, and Wayne County residents appear to be taking notice.
Gun sales have increased during the heated presidential election season, said several gun and sporting store owners.
Concerns about potentially tightening gun control laws have led customers to purchase firearms for fear of losing out on the opportunity later, even those who have never owned a gun before.
Ben Sauls, owner of Four Seasons Sports in Goldsboro, said that even in the wake of mass shootings like the one in Orlando, Fla., broader concerns about gun control legislation still drive many of his customers.
"People feel like the Second Amendment is under attack, we see more sales when gun control talk goes up," he said. "I've had a number of people 50 years and older who have never owned a gun coming in here."
Sauls also said that, in addition to the large-scale discussion on the Second Amendment, local crime is a major driver of gun sales.
"When people hear somebody got shot the street over, when they see in the newspaper somebody got shot in their car, they want to protect themselves," he said.
Sauls added that, while the post-Orlando shooting discussion has revolved around the AR-15 style rifle, handguns are the most popular purchase at Four Seasons.
Kirk Mayes, manager of W.T.'s guns in Goldsboro, had a similar perspective. He said that there had been no significant uptick in gun sales following the tragedy in Orlando, but that election season tensions and uncertainty over gun legislation consistently motivated gun buyers.
"There are always people worried about the Second Amendment," he said.
Brett Shaver, manager at Wild Indian Gun Co., had a different perspective to share. He said that his business had definitely seen a surge since the shooting in Orlando.
"To put it plainly, yes," he said. "Same thing happened after Sandy Hook."
Shaver said that fears of gun restrictions also play a part, largely due to what he said is a fundamental part of American nature.
"We're American people. When you say we can't have something, the first thing we do is go out and see if we can get it," he said.