CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Fear driven by the coronavirus has led to a record number of gun sales in Illinois.
Illinois State Police said it received more than 60,000 inquiries for gun buys last month. That’s the most since the agency began tracking such data in 1992. The Sun-Times reported 87 percent of those requests came after Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered schools, restaurants and bars closed.
The owner of a Des Plaines gun range and store told the paper he’s seen sales increase by three to five times.
Dan Eldridge said this is a very different panic than what has been seen in the past and while his shop still has plenty of guns, ammunition is nearly unobtainable right now.