Arms Race
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The gun culture in Southern California:
* During October and November alone, Californians purchased 107,000 guns, 16% more than during those two months last year.
* Gun sales statewide topped 559,000 last year. By November, 1993, sales had surpassed that mark.
* While brush fires raged here, between Oct. 26 and Nov. 4, 66 people were killed in L.A. County--by firearms.
* More than 5,100 Californians died from gunshots in 1992, 23% more than from traffic accidents.
* Just since the beginning of October, nearly 500 people have died from gunshots in L.A. County. That is more than five gun deaths every day.
* More than 200 people have been slain in Orange County so far this year, a homicide record. The 200th victim, struck down in Tustin Dec. 8, was shot when he opened his front door to a man claiming car trouble. The coroner’s office attributed the homicide record to the availability of guns.
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