Gun sales spike 700% in Ferguson ahead of riots; citizens urged to arm up

(NaturalNews) With sources telling Natural News that the grand jury examining the Aug. 9 shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, by white police officer Darren Wilson expected any day now, residents of the St. Louis suburb are being urged to buy a firearm for protection.

Indeed, as reported by Britain's Daily Mail, gun sales in and around the city have spiked 700 percent ahead of the grand jury decision, which a number of analysts expect will not be in favor of indicting Wilson.

The paper reported in its online edition that Steve King, owner of Metro Shooting Supplies in Bridgeton, Missouri -- a nearby suburb -- said he has sold more than 250 firearms this week alone, or a 700 percent increase over the 30-40 he typically sells in a week.

In an interview with The Washington Post, King said people in the community and surrounding areas "are afraid."

'Activists' could attack police, federal agents, citizens

The increased sales come as the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI have warned law enforcement agencies around the country that the coming grand jury decision "will likely" lead to violence. The decision is expected any day; police sources told Natural News that a decision could even come this weekend, ahead of Thanksgiving Day celebrations.

Earlier this week Missouri Gov. Jeremiah "Jay" Nixon declared a state of emergency, which allowed him to mobilize the state's National Guard to help state and local police maintain order, though his order "added to the overflowing docket of anxiety in greater St. Louis as the city braces for the expected news that Wilson will not be charged," The Washington Post reported.

The FBI warning, which was first reported by ABC News, informed law enforcement that protestors -- many of whom are already being whipped into a frenzy by "activists" -- could wind up attacking police and federal agents.

"The FBI assesses those infiltrating and exploiting otherwise legitimate public demonstrations with the intent to incite and engage in violence could be armed with bladed weapons or firearms, equipped with tactical gear/gas masks, or bulletproof vests to mitigate law enforcement measures," the bulletin concluded.

The Post further reported:

Ku Klux Klan leaders have handed out fliers in Ferguson that threaten "lethal force" against protesters, businesses have boarded up their storefronts, and local gun retailers say sales have skyrocketed. Law enforcement officials have warned of groups of "outside agitators" who could descend on the city after the announcement and incite violence.

MailOnline said that fears are also being fueled by additional reports such as one that came out Tuesday which claimed that some Ferguson police officers and their supporters were urging residents to make sure that they had a firearm on online message boards.

'Violence will not be tolerated'

"If you do not have a gun, get one and get one soon. We will not be able to protect you or your family," said one commenter on the forum St. Louis Cop Talk.

The Post reported that Ferguson police would have no role in policing any protests -- in their own city. So, the powers that be have decided that the Ferguson P.D. is guilty of something, even if they're not.

Some local officials and protest organizers were upset at Nixon's order.

"The National Guard is called in when policing has failed," tweeted St. Louis Alderman Antonio French. A "military presence in my city will mark a historic failure on the part of the [government]."

Nixon said his order to deploy the Guard is meant to ensure that innocent people do not get hurt and that businesses and private property do not get destroyed.

"This is America. People have the right to express views and grievances, but they do not have the right to put fellow citizens and property at risk," Nixon said last week. "Violence will not be tolerated."

St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson agreed with the Guard deployment.

"The National Guard is not coming to militarize the response," he said. "It's a multiplier. It helps us protect our community."

Sources:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk

http://www.theblaze.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com