GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - Minnesota gun sales remained relatively flat in the days following the deadly shooting rampage in Colorado, even as individual gun shop owners noted a significant increase.
According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, background checks performed by law enforcement agencies for people applying for either a permit to purchase or a permit to carry a gun went from 2,519 the week of July 12 compared to 2,480 the week of July 19.
Despite the statewide trend, Twin Cities metro area gun shops said they're seeing a jump in business.
"Friday, immediately following, we were very busy, just amazing," said Kory Krause, owner of The Frontiersman in Golden Valley.
Krause said business was "at least double" on that first day following the shootings in Aurora, Colorado that killed 12 people.
Since then, sales dipped slightly, but Krause still believes sales are up by about 30 percent.
Other area gun stores -- including Bill's Gun Shop and Range in Robbinsdale and Circle Pines -- noted a jump in interest among potential gun buyers.
That interest still pales in comparison to Colorado, where the Colorado Bureau of Investigation noted a 43 percent increase in background checks for people wanting to buy guns.
A Minnesota organization dedicated to fighting gun violence says the trend -- national or local -- only serves to exacerbate the underlying problem.
"It's unfortunate, because as you look at our history as a nation, as gun sales increase, violence increases," said Leroy Duncan, lead organizer with Protect Minnesota.
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