Last Updated on June 8, 2022
Gun sales exploded after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced legislation that would freeze the import, purchase, and sale of handguns across the country.
Gun store owners throughout Canada reported panic buying and looming inventory following Trudeau’s proposed legislation.
Jen Lavigne, co-owner of That Hunting Store, located outside of Ottawa, told AFP News, “we sold 100 handguns, or almost our entire stock, in the last three days, since the prime minister announced the [proposed] freeze.”
“This measure is only going to hurt legal gun owners,” Lavigne suggested. “It’s not going to reduce any of the crime because the bad guys don’t follow the rules.”
Justin Trudeau announced the proposed gun freeze on May 30th. During a press conference, he explained “we’re capping the market for handguns.”
The prime minister added, “Gun violence is a complex problem. But at the end of the day, the math is really quite simple: the fewer the guns in our communities, the safer everyone will be.”
The owner of a gun store in Toronto, Josko Kovic, reported a similar buying frenzy at his store. Kovic said Trudeau’s proposed legislation “created a panic, and people are now rushing out to buy handguns.”
Kovic added, “almost all stores are sold out, including me.”
One gun store owner expressed his fear for small businesses like his which may suffer from the legislation, which is expected to pass in the Fall. Darryl Tomlinson, the owner of Canadian Gun Guys in Winnipeg called the legislation a “catch-22.”
“This handgun measure is going to take away livelihoods and break up communities,” Tomlinson speculated. “We’re busy now, but I fear we’re going to be put out of business in the Fall.”
American gun stores have also witnessed increased gun sales after President Joe Biden and various politicians began spouting pro-gun-control rhetoric.
Eric Wallace, a manager of a Georgia firearms store, said sales tripled after gun control became a hot topic in the state. Wallace was supportive of the gun surge, saying, “to protect your family, you’ll want as much firepower as you can get. I think it’s a great choice.”
The domestic arms race continues, as one gun shop owner says AR-15 sales in Georgia have tripled after Uvalde. “The way this president is driving this country, everyone needs to be carrying at this point.” pic.twitter.com/Og3vnM4ydE
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) June 5, 2022
Earlier this month, President Biden encouraged Congress to ban “assault weapons”, high capacity magazines, and raise the age to purchase a from 18 to 21.
“We should reinstate the assault weapons ban high-capacity magazines that we passed in 1994 with bipartisan support in Congress and the support of law enforcement,” the president said. “Nine categories of semi-automatic weapons were included in that ban, like AK-47 and AR-15. And in the 10 years it was law, mass shootings went down. But after Republicans let the law expire in 2004 those weapons were allowed to be sold again. Mass shootings tripled. Those are the facts.”
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) slammed Democrats for their anti-Second Amendment rhetoric. Massie said, “Democrats aren’t serious about ending school shootings, but they are serious about taking your guns.”
Watch:
Democrats aren't serious about ending school shootings, but they are serious about taking your guns. pic.twitter.com/WLho7JqsNQ
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 3, 2022
Read more on Trudeau’s proposed gun freeze here.
