By Gabriela Knutson SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — There have been 307 mass shootings so far in 2018. The most recent national shooting occurred just over a week ago in Thousand Oaks, California. In Syracuse, we also had a mass shooting in September on Midland Ave.
Usually in the aftermath of these horrific mass shootings, the stock prices of gun companies soar high, because people worry their favorite guns may soon become illegal. But in Syracuse, gun sellers are noticing a different trend—the need for an increased sense of protection.
“I do see a little bit of an increase in an older people, frail, can’t move as quickly, maybe haven’t carried one in 10 years, who now realize when they go to the mall or to dinner someplace. ‘I’m gonna have something with me, to protect myself and my family,'” says the owner of Ra-Lin Sporting Goods. He says the uptick of new gun buyers has been more or less across the board, but has seen older people have a revamped urge to buy guns.
John Kleniatis, owner of Corinthian Arms LLC and dealer of fire arms, has also encountered a similar increase. He says more older citizens and women have been coming to him to get or renew their gun licenses.
“Customers that are older women, widows, 65 years old and up that feel more comfortable with a fire arms, because all of a sudden they can take care of themselves again,” says Kleniatis.
Local gun enthusiast Jon Law also says he feels like he needs more protection because of the large amount of mass shootings recently.
“I carry my gun 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The main purpose is that I do have a four year old daughter and when I have it on me I feel a lot safer, and in a public place, with circumstances that have occurred, I feel I have a better shot of protecting myself, her and others around us,” says Law.
The state of New York is known for some of the strictest gun licensing laws in the nation. Law has at least ten handguns in his possession, and knows first-hand how complicated it can be to obtain one of those.
“Syracuse is not pro gun. It’s very difficult really and the background checks that they have are very strenuous,” says Law. “You have to have three references to sign off on your permit to begin with, and there are many restrictions on carrying, let alone just obtaining a gun.”
All three of the men interviewed for this story are not worried guns will become illegal, but remain persistent that if stricter gun laws are put in place it will not decrease gun violence. They believe it will only cause more problems and trouble for the ‘good guys,’ the ones that want to obtain a gun legally for legal and harmless reasons. Kleniatis said that people will still find a way to get guns no matter what, and even if the government tries to take away all of the legal guns, there is no way for them to find all of the illegal guns. Therefore, he believes stricter gun laws would only cause good people harm.
