Gunmakers’ shares rise after shooting
HILLARY CLINTON, the Democratic candidate in last year’s presidential election, led calls for the American people to stand up to the powerful gun lobby in the wake of the country’s most deadly mass shooting.
Shares in firearm makers surged in early trading amid expectations of a spike in sales as gun enthusiasts rushed to beat any tightening of gun laws.
Mrs Clinton made her views clear on Twitter, criticising the stance of the National Rifle Association.
Other gun campaigners added their voice, saying America’s state-by-state patchwork of laws needed to be tightened.
“The US government must uphold its obligations under international law and address gun violence as the human rights crisis that it is,” said Margaret Huang, Amnesty International USA’S Executive Director.
Such calls prompted a rise in share price for companies like American Outdoor Brands, formerly Smith and Wesson, which saw a bump of almost five per cent in pre-market trading.
Police officers said the killer had up to 10 firearms in his room. Nevada law does not require firearms owners to have licences, register their weapons, or limit the number of firearms an individual can possess. Residents are also allowed to carry their weapons openly, but need a licence for concealed carry.
Witnesses in Las Vegas offered differing views of the best way forward. Kayla Jones, a performer who had been on stage before the shooting, said it increased her support for Americans’ right to bear arms.
“You know, what it makes me do is just want to, you know carry conceal. So our Second Amendment right is enforced in my mind for me,” she said.
Meghan Kavalus, who was on a balcony at the Mandalay Bay Hotel, told ITV’S This Morning that things had to change. “How many more mass shootings do we have to have in this country, in our schools, public places, a mall and now in a state where the laws are way too lax? It’s way too easy for someone to get their hands on a weapon,” she said.
“It is something that needs to be addressed immediately. But it has been going on now for 15-20 years.”
The White House last night said it would be “premature” to reopen the debate on tighter gun controls.
“There’s a time and place for a political debate, but now is the time to unite as a country,” said Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary. “A motive is yet to be determined and it would be premature for us to discuss policy when we don’t fully know all of the facts.”