World

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., center, leads a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 24, 2012, to criticize the sale of high-capacity magazines for assault rifles that are sold to the public. He is joined by Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., left, and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., right. A previous federal ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines was allowed to lapse in 2004. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Firearms sales are surging after last week's Colorado theatre massacre as buyers fear that politicians may use the shootings to seek new restrictions on owning weapons.

In Colorado, where Friday's shooting killed 12 and injured dozens, gun sales jumped in the three days that followed. The state approved background checks for 2,887 people who wanted to purchase a firearm, 25 per cent more than the average Friday to Sunday period in 2012 and 43 per cent more than the same interval the week prior.

Dick Rutan, owner of Gunners Den in Arvada, Colorado, said requests for concealed-weapon training certification "are off the hook." His four-hour course in gun safety, required for certification for a concealed-weapons permit in Colorado, has drawn double the interest since Friday.

"What they're saying is, they want to have a chance. They want to have the ability to protect themselves and their families if they are in a situation like what happened in the movie theatre," Rutan said.

Day-to-day gun sales frequently fluctuate, but the numbers look strong outside of Colorado, too.

Seattle's home county, King, saw nearly twice as many requests for concealed pistol licenses than the same time frame a year ago. Florida recorded 2,386 background checks on Friday, up 14 per cent from the week before. Oregon sales on Friday and Saturday were up 11 per cent over the month before. Four days of checks in California were up 10 per cent month-to-month.

During the past decade, June and July have consistently been the slowest months for gun sales, according to FBI data.

Jay Wallace, who owns Adventure Outdoors in Georgia, found that his sales on Saturday were up 300 per cent from the same day a year ago, making it one of the best Saturdays his business has ever had.

He said customers are often afraid when there's a gun-related tragedy that some lawmakers might try and push through an anti-gun agenda.

"We shouldn't let one sick individual make us forget and lose sight of freedoms in this country," Wallace said. "The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms."

Authorities have said the suspected Colorado shooter, James Holmes, stockpiled weapons and explosives at work and home in recent months. He purchased thousands of rounds of ammunition and a shotgun, a semi-automatic rifle and two Glock pistols, authorities said.