Thousands attend Tucson gun show one week after shootings.

More than 7,000 people were expected to attened
the Crossroads of the West Gun Show in Tucson
this weekend.
Tucson, Arizona (CNN) -- Thousands of people
determined "to exercise their Second Amendment
rights," attended a gun show Saturday in Tucson,
Arizona, one week after a well-armed gunman
opened fire at a local shopping center, the show's
president said.
The mood at the show was somber, said Bob
Templeton of Crossroads of the West Gun
Shows.
But the two-day event is expected to draw up to
nearly 7,000 patrons, rather than the customary
5,000, Templeton said. Attendees waited up to 20
minutes to buy tickets Saturday morning, he
said.
"We had a moment of silence here at the show,"
Templeton said, referring to the deaths of six
people and the wounding of 13 others, including
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, after last Saturday's
shooting.
Donations were being taken at the
show to assist victims and families.
Jared Lee Loughner, 22, allegedly
carried a knapsack to the shopping
center, according to a law
enforcement official familiar with
the investigation. He had a semi-
automatic handgun, four
ammunition magazines and a knife,
according to the official.
Loughner is accused of bringing a Glock handgun
to the Giffords event and opening fire.
Some critics have questioned whether the gun
show was appropriate so soon after the
shootings.
Templeton knows there will be a renewed debate
on gun control.
"It's going to be a long dialogue on gun control
and gun rights, and it will be hard to strike a
balance between those two positions," he said.
"Responsible firearm ownership means if you are
going to have a gun, you should be trained to
use it in a responsible way."
Bill Schaeffler of Tucson, among those at the
show Saturday, said he knows gun control and
high-capacity ammunition magazines will be hot
topics. Still, he said, people want to protect
themselves.
"There will be more guns owned in this state at
the end of this month than at the beginning of the
month," he told CNN.
A member of gun-rights lobbying group said he
would probably vote for Giffords if she returns to
Congress.
"You just have to admire somebody ... who has
that kind of perseverance," said Charles Heller,
secretary of the Arizona Citizens Defense League.
Heller argued that a well-armed society is a safer
society. "Being armed is the natural state of man,"
he said.
Federal law enforcement officials were on site to
monitor buyers and sales activity, Templeton
said. "They routinely watch gun shows near the
border area to try and curb the flow of guns into
Mexico."
Templeton told CNN affiliate KGUN the massacre
had nothing to do with lawful gun ownership.
"It was about a madman who had an agenda and
who committed unspeakable acts of mayhem
and violence," he said.


Source: Http://edition.cnn.com/2011/US/01/15/arizona.gun.show/?hpt=T2