Americans have included guns in their Christmas stockings list along with socks, sweaters and wine as security concerns remain unabated following a rash of mass shootings across America and threats of possible terrorist attacks from followers of radical Islam.
Gun shop owners in the U.S. reported brisk gun sales during the holidays. Likewise, gun background checks set a new record on Black Friday.
In November, the FBI ran more than 2.2 million gun background checks, a 24 percent increase from last year. Gun background checks hit a new record on Black Friday, when 185,345 were processed by the FBI, The Guardian and Raw Story reported.
The background checks, done by the National Instant Criminal Background Check system, do not indicate actual gun sales as the checks do not mean guns were bought. People can buy several guns with just one background check. But the data is used by manufacturers to measure the strength of the industry.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, shoppers crammed the ABQ Guns looking for Christmas gifts.
"They'll come in, then they'll be looking and they'll leave, then I'll get a call: 'Hey, remember that gun we were looking at? Well, she really liked it so I am going to come get it. Don't tell her.' Five minutes later, 'Hey, remember that gun he really liked?'" co-owner Belinda Gallegos told KOAT News Action 7.
In Arkansas, co-owner Kelly Womack of Fort Chaffee Outfitters said the store sold 40 guns on Black Friday and "a lot of those were gifts."
"What we didn't sell in guns, we sold in accessories, which were gifts," she told TV station KFSM.
She said anyone who wants to buy a guy must fill out a form that asks questions about citizenship, criminal history and mental health.
Womack added that it's a felony to give a gun to someone who can't legally have it based on the rules. It is also a federal offence if you're buying a gun for someone who gives you something in return.
"If Mr. Smith asked Mr. Jones to purchase a firearm for Mr. Smith, and Mr. Smith gives Mr. Jones the money for the firearm, that's clearly not a gift," she said.
The New Hanover County sheriff in North Carolina requested those who want to give a gun to someone to research.
"Know that they can possess that gun," Lt. Jerry Brewer told WECT. "If there's any outlying issues in terms of being a felon, there's some other issues there, some other laws. Make sure they can possess that gun, if they can't, there's no point in buying it."
