In the aftermath of the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, lawmakers were in heated debate over gun control measures. While the liberal left was urging bans and restrictions, residents were responding in a different way—they were shopping. More specifically, they were shopping for firearms.
The Naples Daily News reported that between Feb. 22 and March 9—a timeframe that spans the introduction of an anti-gun bill and its passage—the Florida Department of Law Enforcement processed more than 13,000 background checks. That represents a 23 percent increase over that time period last year.
Naples Gun Shop owner David Rich said he noticed a surge in sales just a few days after the shooting. “It was at least a 50 to 60 percent increase, it was significant.”
Citizens were no doubt responding to the increased call for gun control measures such as the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. Senate Bill 7026 imposes, among other things, a three-day waiting period for all gun purchases and raises the buying age for all firearms to 21 (it had been 18 for long guns).
After Gov. Rick Scott signed the bill into law, the NRA immediately filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida claiming it is an unconstitutional violation of the Second Amendment rights of young adults.
