Local gun shops: Sales have increased since the shooting at a south Florida high school

Jacksonville area gun shops tell Action News Jax their firearm sales have doubled since the Stoneman Douglas High School massacre nearly two weeks ago.

Monday, we spoke with the owner of St. Nicholas Guns and Sporting Goods, Paul Rukab, about the uptick in sales.

“Quite a bit of increase, about double my business,” Rukab said.  “[AR-15s] went up in sales, but a lot of handguns, too.”

Rukab attributes the increase to two things: Gun enthusiasts wanting to get ahead of any legislation that would impose bans or restrictions on guns, and new gun buyers who want to make sure they're protected, especially in the wake of that mass shooting in south Florida.

“[It’s a] combination of the two, people worried about laws coming in banning [AR-15s], but it’s good for us,” Rukab said.

U.S. Patriot Firearms and On Target Sports told Action News Jax they, too, have noticed an increase in their firearm sales.

Action News Jax also reached out to Shooters of Jacksonville, Gun Gallery, and Black Creek Precision, but they would not comment for this story.

St. Nicholas customer Khalid Reyes said he waited until after he got his concealed carry license to buy a gun, and Action News Jax was there when he did that Monday.

“You can get it without it the license, but I want to do everything the right way,” Reyes said.

Cox Media Group