Phoenix area pawn shop sees more gun sales following recent mass shootings

PHOENIX - The U.S. has been rocked by two mass shootings within a week’s time, with lawmakers now working to enact further gun control measures.

The goal, they say, is to prevent these mass shootings, and shops in the Valley say the potential for these restrictions has led to an increase in gun sales.

While gun sales in general have seen an increase over the past year amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a manager at one ship says over the past week, he saw an even bigger spike than usual.

"We call it the trifecta," said Byron Vaughn, General Manager of Mo Money Pawn. "Right now, you’ve got gun control, you’ve got stimulus checks, you’ve got tax refunds."

Vaughn says that people have been flocking to the Phoenix store this past week.

"They’re mad that the government is infringing on their rights as law-abiding legal citizens and taking their rights away from them," said Vaughn.

Following the shooting in Boulder, President Joe Biden implored the Senate and the House to pass new gun control measures that would ban assault weapons. At the time, President Biden said that he did not want to 'wait another minute, let alone an hour' to act, but Vaughn says he does not believe this kind of ban would prevent a mass shooting.

"It is an Inanimate object," said Vaughn. "They are gonna find something. Knife, steel pipe, something else to get the job done."

Vaughn is urging lawmakers to reconsider these restrictions.

"The issues that people have is miseducation, and that goes with our politicians too," said Vaughn.

At this point, no further restrictions have been put into place.