"Gun sales increase as crime rates go up"

Something to remember for studies that try to separate out gun ownership and crime rates:

LEE COUNTY: Gun shop owners in Lee County say sales are up and they attribute the increase to home invasions.

Officials with the Lee County Sheriff's Office say at least 15 home invasions have been reported this year. In Cape Coral, police say they have investigated five and have solved most of them.

At Tactical Weapons in Fort Myers, salesman Andrew Bulman says the store sells 10 guns a week to first-time buyers.

"I do think people do react to the circumstances around them at the time," Bulman said. "A lot of people are coming in to look for something to protect themselves, their property. It gives them a peace of mind to resort to." . . .

NBC2 talked to Cape Coral Police Chief Robert Petrovich and he encourages people to bear arms, but to do so properly.

"We can't be everywhere, for them, every time, every minute, every second of the day," Petrovich said. . . .