With antisemitism on the rise, many Jewish Americans and Israelis in Los Angeles are taking steps to protect themselves and their families ... and some are turning to firearms.
Eric Fletcher, a manager for Burbank Ammo and Guns, tells TMZ ... the shop has recently seen a huge influx of Jewish Americans and Israelis who are buying guns for the first time.
We're told many of the first-time gun owners are women, and sometimes entire families are coming to the gun shop together.
The numbers are staggering ... the manager says this month alone the store has processed 194 firearm safety certificate tests and counting, compared to just 45 in October 2022, and the manager estimates 75% of the folks coming in now are Jewish Americans or Israelis.
The safety tests are required for anyone buying a gun for the first time ... so the numbers represent first-time gun buyers.
At Burbank Ammo and Guns, handguns are the most popular firearm purchased ... and we're told stock is running low and the shop is doing its best to keep up with increased demand.
While there's a war between Israel and Hamas a world away, in America there's been a recent wave of attacks on the Jewish community. According to the advocacy group Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents in the U.S. have risen by almost 400% since Hamas attacked Israel.
It's a pretty crazy time in our lives ... the gun store manager says the shop hasn't been this busy since the pandemic began.