SUNBURY -- Statistics show mass shootings tend to boost U.S. gun sales. It happened again following last week's terror attack in California.
Figures show gun sales in central Pennsylvania spiked as well.
Geiser Guns in Sunbury is typically very busy the week before deer hunting season, but this year manager Matt Geiser says the store was busy in a different capacity.
"This year I was somewhat surprised by the number of customers we had that were in looking for items for self-defense," Matt Geiser said.
Nationwide, gun sales have been up since recent terrorist attacks on our country. Geiser says he saw many first-time gun customers after the recent attack on Paris.
"Knowing that refugees were expected to come to the United States and also Pennsylvania," Geiser said.
Douglass Brubaker of Elysburg bought a gun at Geiser Guns, but says it has nothing to do with terrorism.
"I've been collecting and using guns my whole life, so it's something that I do," Brubaker said.
"I wouldn't base my purchase off of anything the president has been saying to me. If I need a gun, I'm going to go out and look at one," Adam Purdy said.
It was hard to find someone in this store who does not already own a gun.
"This is a rural area. Most of us have firearms already. We're pretty well stocked up," John Smink said.
John Smink of Snydertown teaches a gun safety class and says a lot of new people are signing up. He understands the rise in firearms purchases.
"I think this panic buying, it's people who aren't exposed to firearms. They just jump on the bandwagon. They get scared and you can't blame them," Smink said.