Gun sales shoot up across US 
in wake of Batman massacre

Gun sales in the US have surged since the Batman cinema massacre amid fears that politicians may use the shootings to justify restrictions on owning weapons.

In Colorado, where Friday’s shooting killed 12 and injured dozens, gun sales jumped in the next three days. The state approved background checks for 2,887 people who wanted to purchase firearms –25 per cent more than the average Friday-to-Sunday period in 2012 and 43 per cent more than the previous week.

The revelations came as Batman star Christian Bale appeared to respond to an online campaign to go to meet survivors.

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The British actor and his wife Sibi Blazic made the visit to Aurora with little advance warning.

They saw the makeshift memorial and thanked medical staff and police officers who responded to the attack that killed 12 people and injured 58 others.

Carey Rottman, one of those injured, posted two photos of himself with Bale on his Facebook page.

One hospital manager said: “He just said he wanted to come to thank all of us because he has been thinking about this. He knows the whole world has been thinking about this. He took it upon himself to come and thank us.”

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“He did this out of his heart, and you could really tell. It was so sincere,” she added. “It was just, ‘Thank you.’”

Away from Colorado, other states also reported increased gun sales.

King County in Washington, around Seattle, saw nearly twice as many requests for concealed pistol licences than the same period a year ago. Florida recorded 2,386 background checks on Friday, 14 per cent more than week before. Oregon sales on Friday and Saturday were up 11 per cent over the previous month. Four days’ checks in California were up 10 per cent month-to-month.

According to FBI data, during the past decade, June and July have consistently been the slowest months for gun sales.

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Dick Rutan, owner of Gunners Den in Arvada, Colorado, said requests for concealed-weapon training certification “are off the hook.” His four-hour course in gun safety, required for certification for a concealed-weapons permit in the state, had drawn double the interest since Friday.

“What they’re saying is, they want to have a chance. They want to have the ability to protect themselves and their families if they are in a situation like what happened in the movie theatre,” he said.

Jay Wallace, who owns Adventure Outdoors in Georgia, found that his sales on Saturday were up 300 per cent from the same day a year ago – making it one of the best days his business has ever had.

He said customers are often afraid when there is a gun-related tragedy that some politicians might try and push through an anti-gun agenda.

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“We shouldn’t let one sick individual make us forget and lose sight of freedoms in this country,” he said. The Second Amendment to the US Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms.

Authorities have said the Colorado killer, James Holmes, stockpiled weapons and explosives at work and home.

He purchased thousands of rounds of ammunition and a shotgun, a semi-automatic rifle and two Glock pistols.

Nationally, the shootings have triggered a fierce debate over gun control and whether government has a role in reining in firearm ownership.

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Sales peaked after the election of Barack Obama as President, as weapons enthusiasts feared he might curtail gun rights. FBI figures also show background checks for handgun sales jumped in Arizona following the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in 2011.

Some Democrats in Congress cited the shooting as evidence of the need for tougher gun controls – particularly a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines.

Congress, however, has not passed strict legislation in more than a decade, and leaders in Washington show no sign of bringing in such measures soon.

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