Gun sales surging in New Mexico
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Updated: 5:59 PM MDT May 6, 2021
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Updated: 5:59 PM MDT May 6, 2021
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YOUR CHILD IS REALLY STRUGGLING, CONSIDER CONTACTING A PSYCHOLOGIST OR PSYCHIATRIST. SHELLY: GUN SALES SKYROCKETED IN NEW MEXICO DURING THE PANDEMIC, WITH MANY WOMEN BUYING HANDGUNS FOR THE FIRST TIME. DOUG: TARGET 7 COMBED THROUGH FBI DATA, AND WENT TO A GUN SHOP TO FIND OUT WHY. A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE BUYING GUNS IN NEW MEXICO DURING COVID. >> I PROBABLY BOUGHT FOR. A COUPLE OF HANDGUNS AND RIFLES. DOUG: LOOK AT THIS CHART FROM THE FBI, MORE THAN 200,000 GUNS WERE SOLD IN OUR STATE LAST YEAR. THAT IS AN INCREASE OF 28% FROM 2019, AND ITS THE MOST FIREARMS SOLD IN THE LAST TWO DECADES. >> I ENJOY GUNS. SOME GUNS I LIKE BETTER THAN OTHERS. I NEVER MET WHEN I DIDN’T LIKE. DOUG: IN 2020, WE WERE 21ST IN THE NATION IN THE NUMBER OF GUNS SOLD PER CAPITA. >> NEW MEXICANS LOVE THEIR GUNS AND THEY ALWAYS HAVE. DOUG: ABQ GUNS OWNER ARNOLD GALLEGOS SAID COVID, THE GUN DEBATE THAT OCCURRED DURING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, AND CRIME ARE THE REASONS WHY SALES INCREASED NATIONALLY >> WHENEVER ANYBODY COMES IN AND STARTS TALKING ABOUT RESTRICTIONS ON IT, IT DRIVES EVERYTHING UP. DOUG: EVEN PEOPLE WHO NEVER WANTED A GUN ARE WANTING A GUN NOW. HE ALSO NOTICED THAT MORE WOMEN, WERE COMING INTO IS SHOP AND >> AT 21-YEAR-OLD GIRL. I WILL BUY MY DAUGHTER SOMETHING BECAUSE SHE NEEDS TO PROTECT HERSELF. DOUG: MORE PEOPLE WERE BUYING HANDGUNS THAN ANY OTHER FIREARM. 62% OF THE GUNS SOLD IN 202, WERE HANDGUNS. 20 YEARS AGO, THOSE ACCOUNTED FOR LESS THAN 40% OF ALL GUN SALES. >> THE OVERALL MESSAGE EVERYBODY IS GETTING NOW IS THAT GOT TO PROTECT THEMSELVES CAUSE NO ONE ELSE IS GOING TO DO IT. DOUG: THE FBI DATA SHOWS THE TOP THREE STATES IN GUN SALES PER CAPITA WERE WYOMIN