Connecticut has issued over 31,000 new gun permits in the first half of the year, according to state data – more than double the total permits issued in 2019.

Kevar Whilby, at Stratford Guns & Ammo, says he's seen an increase in business, especially since the pandemic began.

"Everybody wants to be safer, especially with everything that happened last year…especially with the world we live in, which is completely understandable," he told News 12.

Whilby says he's seeing a lot of first-time gun owners and more women purchasing firearms.

Connecticut has some of the strictest gun laws in America, but Whilby says there's room to do a better job of educating people about guns.

"When we know our rights and we can do it safely, it’s better for us in the long run and it also helps law enforcement," he says.

Whilby says it takes about three or four months to get a gun permit, sometimes a year. The state is experiencing delays due to increased sales.

Jeremy Stein, of Connecticut Against Gun Violence, says studies have shown that more guns equal more gun deaths.

"Somehow, a gun is going to protect you and your family, and that's just simply not true,” he says. "If you have a gun in your home, you're going increase your likelihood of accidental death three to five times, suicide three to five times."