A month after Newtown shooting: gun sales continue to rise

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - It has been one month since the Newtown shooting that left 27 people dead, and across the country, gun sales are continuing to increase.

"Sales are up about 400 percent right now," said Andrew May, a manager at Sniper Company, a gun shop in Fort Wayne.

Employees at Sniper Company said the spike in sales began around the election in November. However, since the shooting last month, there have been numerous record days.

"When the shooting happened, that really sparked it," May said. "They started talking about gun control, and the more they're talking about gun control, the crazier it's getting and the more scared everyone's getting, so they're coming in trying to get things before they can't get it."

Rifles similar to the one the gunman used have been selling quickly, and most stores have backorders on them.

"AR 15s, we usually sold 15 to 20 a month, and we've had days where we've sold 20 in a day," May said.

However, gun shop employees said the majority of people buying the high capacity rifles are gun collectors, but sales of hand guns have increased substantially by first time buyers and women.

"I'm buying as much as I can right now for the reason if the cost goes up, any kind of taxes that are put on it, or an all out ban that's put on it," Chris Fazio, a gun owner, said.

Many people said fear is driving the spike. At Sniper Company, they used to restock inventory every week, but now they're having to look and buy daily.

"As soon as we get it in it disappears off the shelves," May said.

May said one of the reasons people are buying these high capacity rifles is because they are extremely accurate whether they are used in self-defense cases by law enforcement or military personnel or while hunting.