Asian Americans buying guns to protect themselve against anti-Asian attacks

SCREEN CAPTURE / ABC

One more thing to worry about in this age of anxiety: Asian Americans buying guns.

The coronavirus and the panic it is fueling demonstrates just how thin that line is between civilization and barbarity.

As the attacks against Asian Americans increase and people line up to buy toilet paper, AAPI are lining up to purchase guns and ammo.

One Arcadia Firearm & Safety customer, Dirk Zhang, told CBSLA now is the "perfect time to get a weapon for ourselves." 

His wife previously would not allow a gun in their home," he added. "She's a little afraid of the outbreak of the virus."

Kevin Lim, who owns tactical gear retailer Bulletproof Zone, told BuzzFeed News his sales have jumped 50 to 100 percent.

“I think with the way things have escalated quite quickly around the world and in the U.S. in just the last couple of weeks, it’s very hard to tell what’s going to happen next, and I believe it is better to be safe than sorry,” Lim said. “That’s what our business is about, after all, keeping people safe.”

"They're all coming in because the media is telling them that Asians are being targeted, Chinese are being targeted," said David Liu, the owner of Arcadia Firearm & Safety in San Gabriel Valley, 

"I think this coronavirus was really a tipping point for everybody," Lin told KABC. "I think they're more worried about themselves and their families, and there is nothing wrong with that."