As gun control is as the forefront of a national debate in the wake of the school shooting in Newtown last month, the crowd at a Newington gun shop was so large on Friday morning that there was a police detail outside.
On Friday morning, Hoffman’s Gun Center on the Berlin Turnpike in Newington ran a sale offering 100 value packs that included a Smith & Wesson M&P 15 Sport semi-automatic weapon, a magazine that holds 30 rounds of ammunition and two boxes of ammunition.
The sale started at 9 a.m., but there were reports of lines building before the sale even began.
Police were posted along the street until around noon. Even after police left, cars continued to pull into the parking lot.
The gun shop’s motto is “Guns for the Good Guys” and the web site’s homepage states that a Connecticut state pistol permit, active military or state hunting license is required to buy and “assault style” center fire rifle.
Hoffman’s had no comment other than to say thanks to their customers.
The sale happens on the day that Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy wrote a letter to Vice President Joe Biden asking the leader of the national gun control task force to recommend to expand existing assault weapons bans, improve the National Instant Criminal Background Check system, institute universal background checks for gun and ammunition purchases, strengthen the nation’s mental health systems, encourage manufacturing of safer guns and improve federal tracking of guns.
David Keene, head of the NRA, was on the “Today” Show on Friday morning and suggested that his group has enough support in Congress to fend off legislation to ban sales of assault weapons.
Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut
