COLUMBUS, Ohio — With several large-scale shootings in the month of May, 10TV wanted to take a look at how that's affecting gun sales. At L.E.P.D. Firearms Range & Training Facility, they've seen an increase, but it's not for the reason they typically see.
Eric Delbert, the co-owner of L.E.P.D., said typically after large shootings or when politicians propose more regulations on firearms, sales will spike. Now, it's a little different.
“It has more of a feel that we saw at the beginning of COVID. We're not seeing people come and purchase firearms or ammunition based upon a fear of ‘the government’s going to come and take my gun,’ it's more of a ‘I want to take the responsibility in protecting myself and my family a little bit more,’” Delbert said.
The firearms store is seeing about a 20% uptick in sales over the past couple of weeks. But it is not on any particular type of gun, AR-15s included. He says many customers coming in are not just aware of what's going on nationally, but locally as well.
“You see these horrible tragedies — Texas, Oklahoma, and Buffalo and they're horrible, but they're not at home. But when you start to see that crime, that criminal element at home, not necessarily on the mass scale that we've seen these incidents, but on the daily, you know every day, day in and day out without exception, and we're just getting into the summertime months... I think that is what I think really is starting to drive people,” said Delbert.
Delbert said another part of his business that's seeing an uptick over the past couple of weeks is his gun safety classes.