After Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s proposal to freeze pistol sales, handgun sales have soared in the country.
In the wake of a series of high-profile mass shootings in the United States, Trudeau’s government had introduced legislation that would put a freeze on importing, buying, or selling handguns.
Soon after he made the announcement, several gun stores in British Columbia province saw lines out the door. Not only this, other shops across Canada said they sold out within days.
Jen Lavigne, co-owner of That Hunting Store, told news agency AFP that “Sales have been brisk.”
“We sold 100 handguns, or almost our entire stock, in the last three days, since the prime minister announced the freeze,” she added.
“The government announcement created a panic, and people are now rushing out to buy handguns,” according to DoubleTap Sports’ owner Josko Kovic.
Canada, which has a population of 38 million people, has 2,500 stores that sell pistols and there are more than one million handguns in the country.
Canadians have become wary of becoming mired in new rules that include hefty penalties for even minor lapses even though some of them are keen to buy a pistol.
Along with a border crackdown on weapons smuggling from the United States, the new regulations in Canada are expected to come into force in the fall.
An 18-year-old had killed 21 people, including 19 children and two teachers in an elementary school in Texas after he shot his own grandmother.
(With inputs from agencies)
Watch WION’s live TV here:
