Phoenix-area gun shop owner talks gun control after Florida shooting
Mar 2, 2018, 5:05 AM | Updated: 9:50 am
FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018 file photo, student survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are greeted as they arrive at a rally for gun control reform on the steps of the state capitol, in Tallahassee, Fla. Dozens of college and universities are telling students who may face discipline at their high schools for participating in gun control demonstrations to relax: It won't affect their chances of getting into their schools. Nearly 50 schools including Yale, Dartmouth and UCLA have taken to social media to reassure the students. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
PHOENIX — As the national debate over gun safety and regulations continues, a Phoenix-area gun shop owner said he hasn’t seen an uptick in sales but has seen more people coming in to shop.
“We’re seeing a lot of new gun owners and they are concerned about their safety,” Danny Todd, owner of the Avondale-based AZfirearms.com, told KTAR News 92.3 FM.
His shop carries a large and diverse inventory of guns and ammo.
Todd said returning customers are telling him they are saddened by the recent shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida that left 17 people dead.
“They’re sad,” Todd said. “The people who come into our shop are responsible gun owners, and it’s always sad to see something like this happen. But we have to think about our Second Amendment rights.”
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The long-time gun owner counts himself among the many Americans who are closely watching the national gun debate. President Donald Trump has said he wants to ban bump stocks and raise the minimum legal age to buy a gun to 21.
In Congress, Democrats want to ban the sale of AR-15s and other semi-automatic weapons while Republicans want to strengthen the background check system.
Todd said he doesn’t think stricter guns is the answer to curb the nation’s gun violence problem.
“I don’t think another law is going to help,” he said. “I don’t think banning certain firearms is going to help. I think we need to approach it a different way.”
Todd said a better approach is to enforce the laws already in the books. That includes restricting people with felony convictions from buying guns.
He said he also wants to see improvements made to the FBI’s National Instant Background Check System, also known as NICS, and more resources going toward mental health.
