Gun sales up in rural Ohio county where 8 were killed and sheriff told fearful locals, 'arm yourself'

Pike County, Ohio (Wikipedia map)

Gun shops in rural Pike County, Ohio, have seen an uptick in sales since eight people were killed in a shooting there last week, Bob Strickley reports for the Chillicothe Gazette. Sheriff Charles Reader told residents, "If you are fearful, arm yourself. If you feel you need to protect yourself or your family, do so."

Reader's comment wasn't "considered a gaffe or even the first time a high-ranking Pike County official said or did something curious regarding firearms. The Appalachian hills of Pike County and neighboring Adams, Scioto and Ross counties are home to many hunters and gun enthusiasts. The rural surroundings and dense forests make for a suitable, and arguably safer, setting for firearm buffs."

Handguns are popular, too. In Pike County, 1,515 concealed-carry weapon permits were issued from 2011 through 2015, and 348 permits were renewed, Strickley writes. Scioto County Commissioner Michael Crabtree told him, "I think a lot of people have experience with guns here because they hunt from an early age. Many people I grew up with were introduced to guns at a young age. They would hunt groundhog, squirrel or venison and at the end of the day, the stuff you'd hunt would be on the dinner table. When I was a kid, our dad taught us how to use guns and the different safety practices of gun ownership. We didn't have the problems we have now. It was a different life. When people went to town, they left the doors unlocked. ... I'm not going to allow someone to do bodily harm to me or my wife." (Read more)