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Interest in guns, safety classes increases after spate of home invasions

By Maggie Ybarra
Monday, December 17, 2007

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This Christmas, all some Albuquerque residents seem to want from Santa is a handgun and a box of shells.

In the wake of a recent rash of home invasions and a highly publicized double homicide, interest in guns and gun safety classes are on the upswing, several people in the gun business said.

Jay Johnston, owner of Albuquerque Pawn Shop, 501 Lomas Blvd. N.W., said his store is much busier than usual for this time of year.

"Our shop has been here for 34 years and inquiries and calls about handguns have probably doubled in the last month, two months - since the home invasion stuff and the deal with those poor Korean people," Johnston said.

On Dec. 4, Tak Yi, 79, and his 69-year-old wife, Pung Yi, were killed during a home invasion. Albuquerque police have charged traveling magazine salesmen Michael Lee, 21, and Travis Rowley, 23, with the homicides.

On the same day, a man wearing a blue bandanna on his head and wielding a crowbar entered two Rio Rancho homes. He is also suspected of attempting to invade another house Wednesday.

"It's getting where the home invasions are pretty crazy," Johnston said. "They're happening everywhere."

He sees the increasing inquiries in gun purchases as a sign that people are starting to take an interest in defending themselves.

"Based on what's going on right now, I have had a lot more traffic in here," he said. "I don't blame them. Something needs to be done."

Johnston said handguns such as the .38-caliber and 9 mm have been the subjects of most inquiries.

Mark West, manager of Doc Holiday's Hock Shop, 9731 Menaul Blvd. N.E., said he has seen interest in handguns increase this month, but that's mostly because it had dropped in the months before that.

"I wouldn't say they were great by no means," he said. "But people are damn sure arming themselves."

William Zortman, who provides training to people who want to apply for a concealed handgun permit, said he has received twice the number of inquiries in his classes in the last month.

"Normally, I get one to five people a month calling and asking about training," he said.

This month, Zortman said, "We're just halfway through the month, and I've already had about five."

Zortman said interest in his classes also spiked about nine months ago when the city experienced another series of violent break-ins.

"When it starts getting in the news, people start thinking about it and start thinking about getting some training," he said.

In light of the recent home invasions people should be cautious, Johnston said.

"If you have a knock on your door at 8:30 at night and you're not expecting anybody, be on your toes," he said.

Law enforcement officials said after the arrests of the two traveling salesmen that it's better not to even answer the door.

Fred Behnken, owner of Fred Behnken's Personal Security Consulting, said it is important for people to learn to protect themselves.

"A lot of times people think there's always going to be somebody else out there to take care of them," he said. "And sometimes it's not physically possible for the government to be there to protect people."

Behnken said learning self-defense is important because violence is the nature of humanity.

"There are always going to be people getting hurt and killed," he said. "It's always going to happen."