Maryland residents have been running to gun stores in record numbers to buy arms before a new law comes into action on Tuesday that intends to keep pistols out of the hands of convicts and the mentally ill.
The ban will require people purchasing handguns to be fingerprinted. Someone who has been involuntarily checked into a mental health facility will be barred from owning a gun, according to Sky News. 45 kinds of assault weapons will also be banned from public sale, prompting Marylanders to flood firearm stores in droves before the deadline on Tuesday.
Maryland State Police reported they've gotten 106,772 applications to buy guns this year. Compare that to 2012's 70,099 applications, police spokesperson Greg Shipley said, and it's clear that the deadline is applying pressure on people who have been thinking about buying up.
"There's never been this kind of increase," Shipley told Sky News. He reported that people have submitted applications for firearms at an alarmingly high rate - about 1,000 people a day have asked to purchase a gun in the past 14 days.
Owner of Pasadena Pawn and Gun said that 2013 was his best year of sales since he first started running the establishment seven years before.
"Everybody's trying to get in to either get an assault rifle or a handgun that they've always wanted, and they know the deadline is coming," he stated.
A federal judge rejected a proposal to suspend the ban on Tuesday.
Those that oppose the legislation argue that citizens will not be able to exercise their Second Amendment rights, which allows Americans the right to own firearms. National Rifle Association lobbyist Shannon Alford told the Baltimore Sun that the request to stop the ban won't be the first that Maryland sees.
"The fat lady hasn't even taken the stage, much less sang," Alford said. The NRA is providing support for open gun sale, and strongly opposes the new law.
But for president of Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence Vincent DeMarco, Tuesday's ruling was a "great day for public safety."
"As of today, Maryland will have one of the most effective gun violence prevention laws in the country," DeMarco told the Sun.
