Gun Sales Up In Northern Louisiana In the weeks following Hurricane Katrina, firearms retailers in northwest Louisiana saw an increase in sales, reports the Associated Press. Owners attributed the rise to New Orleans residents readying to return home. "They just wanted to be better safe than sorry," said Kay Miculek, owner of Clark Guns & Personal Safety in Bossier City. One store manager in Shreveport said their sales were the highest since Sept. 11, 2001. Statistics from Louisiana show NICS background checks last month rose 70 percent, with e-check background checks rising 898 percent, over September 2004.