Gun Sales Soar in Riot-Hit Ferguson

As various media sources are reporting riots and loots in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Missouri, they are missing a very significant development in the area. Gun sales and concealed carry permits surged to a maximum in the region just ahead of the jury decision.

Just when it was revealed that the jury decided not to bring charges over the death of Michael Brown, a black teenager who was shot dead by a white police officer on Aug. 9, the residents of Ferguson took to massive rioting and looting.

To protect themselves as well as to attack others, the residents had begun buying the guns before the verdict. "People are buying guns for security to a point where they feel the need to defend themselves against one or more attackers," said Paul Bastean, owner of Ultimate Defense Firing Range in St. Charles, Mo., across the river from Ferguson, CNN reports.

Bastean said that earlier he used to sell three-five guns per day, but now he is selling about 20 to 30 each day. "We have people coming in every day who two years ago, or two months ago, would never have considered owning a firearm," he further said.  

According to CTV News, gun sales and applications for concealed-carry permits have been increasing since the attack on Brown.

St. Louis County Police Department provided data that suggested this year's applications followed a flat trendline before making a sharp curve in August, when Brown was shot and killed.

Bastean is also an officer at the Lake St. Louis Police Department. He said that the enrolment for courses on concealed carry and basic guns have also soared. Earlier, he used to enrol just 10 to 15 students a day, but now up to 60 students get enrolled every day.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama met with the victim's family and appealed for calm in the area. He asked all Americans to accept the grand jury's decision, BBC reports.