TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Gun sales surged in Twin Falls the day after a mass shooting at a local In-N-Out restaurant, with at least one gun store reporting one of its busiest sales days in years. Local firearms dealers say the spike in purchases is a reminder that owning a gun and knowing how to use it are two very different things.
Joshua Van Dyke, one of the owners at Homestead Tactical, said Sunday was among the store's strongest sales days since opening.
WATCH: Gun store owners on the surge in sales after Twin Falls shooting
"In the 3 1/2 years we've been here, Sunday was — if not the busiest day saleswise, it would be right up there in the top handful," Van Dyke said.
Van Dyke showed me how their inventory had thinned following the surge in purchases after Saturday's shooting.
"We're denuded — this used to be a lot fuller," Van Dyke said.
Law enforcement has credited armed citizens who responded to the mass shooting at In-N-Out with saving lives.
"We have hero citizens in our community and these citizens ... did, and undoubtedly saved lives," Twin Falls County Sheriff Jack Johnson said.
Van Dyke said Homestead Tactical emphasized training with each gun purchase.
"Having the tool is great, but what good is it if you don't know how to use it," Van Dyke said.
Van Dyke pointed to the armed citizen who intervened during the shooting as an example of what training can produce.
"The guy that stopped the shooting from getting any worse. He had been training, and he already had a plan in his head on how to respond and how to control his firearm," Van Dyke said. "Those are topics that are discussed in the concealed carry class."
In addition to enhanced concealed-carry training and handgun instruction, Homestead Tactical has taught a field medicine course. Van Dyke draws on 14 years of experience as an Army combat medic in those sessions.
Todd Eccles of Patriot Defense in Buhl echoed the emphasis on training.
"The class is not required to carry in Idaho, but I think it's very important," Eccles said. "I think if you're gonna be a responsible gun owner, I think that's the way that you need to go."
Eccles said his courses cover more than just firearm mechanics.
"We go over like defensive mindset, kind of what you might experience in the situation," Eccles said.
Training and instruction are widely available around the Magic Valley for citizens who want to know how to safely handle a firearm.
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