In spite of the one of the most horrific school shootings the nation had ever seen, more and more Newtown, Conn. residents are purchasing guns for the household.
According to The Wall Street Journal, a review of local records found that more than 200 residents of the suburban community have received new local pistol permits since December – surpassing the 171 permits that were issued throughout all of 2012. These permits are required in Connecticut in order for people to purchase and carry armed weapons.
“I think people realize that you can’t call the police all the time and expect them to save you,” Bill Stevens, a Newtown resident told the Wall Street Journal. “It’s sinking in to some folks that ‘I need to take responsibility for keeping my family safe.”
Stevens is one of many hunters in the town of 28,000, and owns more than a dozen firearms himself.
While the state enacted strict new laws in April that ban assault weapons and limited the amount of rounds that gun magazines could hold, sales statewide have been on the rise for years. The WSJ also reported that the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection processed more than 127,000 gun authorizations in 2012 – more than double the number authorized in 2000. This year alone 91,000 gun purchases were authorized, putting the sales on track to surpass last year’s total by October.
The bans have also led to several gun manufacturers either foregoing building new plans in the state or completely leaving the state.
In June, gun manufacturer Smith and Wesson reported record sales in 2012, with sales rising a whopping 43 percent from 2011.
