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DENVER — Firearms sales are surging after last week’s Colorado theatre massacre as buyers fear that politicians may use the shootings to seek new restrictions on owning weapons.

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In Colorado, where Friday’s shooting killed 12 and injured dozens, gun sales jumped in the three days that followed. The state approved background checks for 2,887 people who wanted to purchase a firearm — 25 per cent more than the average Friday to Sunday period in 2012 and 43 per cent more than the same interval the week prior.

Dick Rutan, owner of Gunners Den in Arvada, Colorado, said requests for concealed-weapon training certification “are off the hook.” His four-hour course in gun safety, required for certification for a concealed-weapons permit in Colorado, has drawn double the interest since Friday.

“What they’re saying is, they want to have a chance. They want to have the ability to protect themselves and their families if they are in a situation like what happened in the movie theatre,” Rutan said.