A Texas gun shop near the U.S.-Mexico border is experiencing a surge in sales.
Gary Humphreys, owner of Humphreys’ gun shop in Del Rio, has noticed a shift in who’s buying. Fathers are now bringing their daughters in to buy pistols, a trend he says has grown under the Biden-Harris administration.
"In the last three years, it's been really interesting how the trend has changed from men to women," Humphreys said. "A lot of women are asking about handguns. I’ll be out on the street, and they’ll tell me they need to come by and get a gun."
First-time buyers are coming in more often, especially fathers looking to protect their daughters. "A lot of fathers are coming and getting their daughters pistols when they're moving off to college and on the road," he shared. "They’re going to bigger cities where it’s dangerous."
Del Rio, where Humphreys’ shop is, is relatively safe, he said. But larger cities in Texas and Arizona are becoming more "dangerous."
"We have a lot of law enforcement here," he explained. "When they had the migrants under the bridge, Gov. Abbott sent DPS down and stopped it in two hours. Now, they’ve moved to Eagle Pass and out to Arizona and New Mexico."
Many customers are buying guns for personal safety rather than to protect property, a shift Humphreys has noticed during the current administration.
"Most people feel safe in their homes, but when they travel to places like San Antonio, that’s where you see a lot of crime," Humphreys noted. "So, most of the purchases are for personal protection."