Gun sales in Oregon increased dramatically in the days after the massacre at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, reaching nearly three times the daily average in the week following the attack.
Data from the state police shows that 573 guns were sold June 12, the day of the shooting. Just five days later, 1,364 guns were sold in a day. On average, 558 guns were sold in Oregon each day of June 2015.
To buy a gun in Oregon, purchasers must undergo a background check. The Oregon State Police keeps data on the background checks — including how many were denied and for what reason — which is published online each month. Background check numbers obtained via a public records request were used to tally daily guns sales.
Information detailing what kind of guns are sold isn’t readily available. State Police spokesman Cpt. Bill Fugate said the unit that conducts gun sales background checks destroys data on what guns are being sold.
Read more at the Statesman Journal.
