Getting Ready

Gun Sales Surge in Ferguson Area

Now two to three times normal.

Some gun dealers in suburban St. Louis are reporting a sales boom, particularly among first-time buyers, as fearful residents await a grand jury’s decision on whether to indict Darren Wilson, the police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown. One dealer, Metro Shooting Supplies, located in an area near the city’s main airport, reports selling two to three times more weapons than usual in recent weeks—an average of 30 to 50 guns each day—as the jury prepares to conclude its three-month review of the case that sparked looting and weeks of sometimes-violent protests in August. The store’s waiting list for private lessons and concealed-carry training classes extends into 2015, the owner said. Other dealers say their sales spikes are comparable to the increases seen soon after Brown’s death on Aug. 9.