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No rush for guns after Orlando, but that could change

By Ty Tagami
June 14, 2016

Atlantans didn't rush to stock up on weapons after the deadliest shooting in U.S. history, but gun store owners say it could still happen if the political talk focuses on restrictions for buyers.

That’s what’s happened after past massacres. The number of federal background checks, an indication of potential purchases, soared in the weeks after the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut and the San Bernardino workplace terrorist attack in California. President Barack Obama talked about the need for more gun control after those shootings.

Tom Deets, the president and managing partner of SharpShooters USA in Roswell, said on Monday that he hadn’t seen a jump in sales but that it could happen depending upon the political reaction. “The joke in the industry is President Obama has been the greatest gun salesman in history,” the former DeKalb police officer said.

About the Author

Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.

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