Michael Anthony Adams

IndyStar

Local gun-store legend, Don Davis, who "just loves to sell guns," died Thursday at Community South Hospital, the president of Don's Guns confirmed. He was 82.

"He was a great man," Brenda Duety, the store's president, told IndyStar on Thursday during a phone conversation. "He was an amazing man."

Davis, known for his colorful local TV commercials that proclaimed, "I don't want to make any money, folks; I just love to sell guns," had been sick, Duety said. But what had been suffering from is unclear.

Davis was born in Missouri and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Fox59 reported.

He moved to Indy in the 1960s and became a bar bouncer. In the 1970s, Davis began his business with a handful of guns and a license that allowed him to set up shop in a garage.

Don's Guns & Galleries Inc., located at 3807 Lafayette Road, has been touted as one of the leading gun sellers in the country. It's also been cited repeatedly as a leading purveyor of guns later linked to crimes.

A 2010 investigation by The Washington Post found Don's ranked third among the country's firearm retailers, with 1,910 crime-related guns traced back to the shop in the past four years.

An earlier study by a gun-control organization found that Don's ranked second in such sales from 1996 to 2000, with 2,294 guns turning up illegally.

The 77-year-old entrepreneur made no apologies, contending the problem comes when guns are resold on the street or at gun shows. He also said because he is one of the leading sellers, it's logical that more guns are traced to his store than others.

In 2012, a former local college student allegedly opened fire at Don's. The clerk at the gun store fired back and killed the student.

Davis said the student had rented a shotgun and fired a few boxes of ammunition in the attached shooting range. After about an hour, the student, who had attended Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, walked back out to the counter and rented a handgun.

Davis said that as the clerk, who was a longtime employee, was ringing up his bill, the student grabbed the rented .40-caliber handgun and fired three shots at him, striking him once in the chest. Wounded, the clerk fired back with another .40-caliber handgun, striking the student and killing him.

The Marion County prosecutors decided not to file charges against the clerk, saying he acted in self-defense.

IndyStar reporters Jill Disis, John Tuohy and Fox59 contributed to this article. Call IndyStar reporter Michael Anthony Adams at (317) 444-6123. Follow him on Twitter: @MichaelAdams317 and on Snapchat: @michael389.