Spike in Gun Sales Follows Albuquerque Ban

Arnold Gallegos, owner of ABQ Guns in Albuquerque, N.M., and an officer with police officer in the Jemez Springs Police Department, considers a public health order banning firearms in public was an "illegal" act by New Mexico's governor. Photo taken on Sept. 12 2023. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

An emergency order that banned the carrying of firearms in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico, appears to have backfired, as some gun stores in the city have reported the prohibition has led to an increase in sales.

“Today was the busiest day I’ve had in months,” Arnie Gallegos, owner of ABQ Guns in Albuquerque, told The Epoch Times. “I’ve been getting a lot of people who have never come into a gun shop before who are rightfully concerned about their freedoms.

“A lot of people are saying, ‘I can’t rely on the police anymore, and I need to be able to protect myself,’” added Mr. Gallegos.

Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham claimed guns to be a “public health emergency” last month in issuing a blanket 30-day prohibition against carrying firearms in and around Albuquerque. Ms. Lujan Grisham argued that the ban was needed to offer a “cooling-off period” in which authorities could address recent gun deaths.

“The time for standard measures has passed,” the governor said in a Sept. 8 statement. “And when New Mexicans are afraid to be in crowds, to take their kids to school, to leave a baseball game—when their very right to exist is threatened by the prospect of violence at every turn—something is very wrong.”

The order came in response to the shootings of three children, including the July 28 shooting death of a 13-year-old girl in northern New Mexico. Police later arrested a man and his 14-year-old son for the crime.

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Walt Bracken, who owns the gun shop BMC Tactical in Albuquerque, told The Epoch Times that he has also noticed an uptick in sales at his business.

“People are upset,” said Mr. Bracken. “There is an attitude that our governor isn’t respecting our rights.”

A clerk at the Albuquerque gun shop Right to Bear Arms, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution, said that Ms. Lujan Grisham and overreach by other Democratic leaders have inadvertently been an effective marketing tool for the firearms industry.

“We have seen a definite jump in traffic because people are nervous, and rightfully so, when they think their right to purchase a gun won’t be around in the near future,” the clerk told The Epoch Times.

“There is definitely a joke in the gun community that the policies of the left are the greatest salesman of all time,” he added.

The governor’s suspension of the open and concealed carrying of firearms by the public was almost immediately met by legal action. Within days, the National Association for Gun Rights filed a lawsuit in conjunction with one of its members who lives in the city, asking the court to block the ban, arguing that the governor’s action violated the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

“The Carry Prohibition infringes the rights of the people, including Plaintiffs, to keep and bear arms as protected by the Second Amendment. There are significant penalties for violations of the law,” the gun rights group argued in court documents, according to ABC News.

‘Don’t Let Anyone Take Your Freedoms’

On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge David Urias issued a temporary restraining order against the governor’s action on the grounds that it went against recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings. The restraining order extends to Oct. 3, when a hearing on the preliminary injunction request will be held.

Ms. Lujan Grisham is facing multiple lawsuits from gun rights groups for her firearms ban, which has drawn criticism from Republicans and some Democrats in her state who argue that it violates the Constitution. New Mexico’s Democratic Attorney General Raúl Torrez said on Tuesday in a letter that he wouldn’t defend the governor against lawsuits on the issue because he does not believe it to be illegal.

“Simply put, I do not believe that the Emergency Order will have any meaningful impact on public safety but, more importantly, I do not believe it passes constitutional muster,” he wrote.

Mr. Gallegos was relieved by the ruling but in no way believes it to be the end of government leaders trying to encroach on his liberty.

“This was a litmus test to see if they could get away with it,” said Mr. Gallegos. “I tell everyone, if you want to preserve the Second Amendment, don’t vote Democrat.

“The message is clear: don’t let anyone take your freedoms in exchange for the promise of safety because, in the end, you’ll have neither,” he added.