Lynnwood gun shop says sales are up since Paris attack



LYNNWOOD, Wash. -- The terrorist attacks in Paris stirred up fears in the United States. A lot of people are now trying to prepare against a future attack by arming themselves.

Anthony Birchman and his dad have been gun owners for years. But they’re not looking for another gun for sport. They saw what happened in Paris last week, and decided to get a gun for protection.

“We figure the more good people we have out there with guns, the safer everyone is going to be.”

The Birchmans aren’t the only ones thinking about safety right now.

The owner of Lynnwood Gun, Tiffany Causer, said she’s been especially busy since the attacks.

“We always tell people our best times, unfortunately, are when things happen,” Causer said. “We don't want that to happen, but we want people to be ready.”

Causer said some regular customers came in this week and bought more weapons so their whole families could be armed in the event of an emergency. But she’s also seen several first-time buyers.

“I have people who come in super scared, especially ladies. They don't know whether they should be carrying mace, guns, Tasers.”

Andrew Chen understands why people who are scared are turning to guns. But he doesn’t think it should be the answer for everyone.

“You don't just want people drawing guns, it's not like Dodge City out there.”

He said that  in the military he was trained how to use a gun and when. He believes every new gun owner needs that kind of training.

“You could buy the equipment, you could buy the firearm, but if you have no idea what you're doing with it, you're probably more dangerous than the terrorists.”

The Birchmans agree, and say that’s why they want to be armed at all times.

“If someone asks me why do you carry a gun, I say why do you wear a seatbelt? I don't want to get in an accident, but stuff happens when you don't expect it.”

Causer said it’s not just new gun owners who need training. She said if you have a gun but haven’t used it in a while, you might want a refresher course so that if you’re put in the position where you have to protect yourself, you know how.