Smith & Wesson maker says increased gun sales reported after Florida attack

[March 02, 2018]  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The chief executive officer of American Outdoor Brands Corporation <AOBC.O>, maker of Smith & Wesson guns, on Thursday said some gun retailers reported increased foot traffic and sales after the Florida high school shooting.

CEO James Debney, on a conference call with investors to discuss earnings, briefly addressed the Feb. 14 attack at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which has sparked a wave of student protests and calls for gun control legislation.

Company officials "share the nation's grief" over the shooting while reaffirming their support of firearms rights, he said.

Debney said that following the shooting, he heard reports of "increased foot traffic" to firearms retailers "leading to some increased sales."

In the past, fears of gun restrictions have sometimes led to increases in gun sales after mass shootings.

An exhibit booth for firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson is seen on display at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Chicago, Illinois, October 26, 2015. REUTERS/Jim Young

Shares of American Outdoor fell 10 percent in after-hours trading after the company reported earnings.

(Reporting by Laila Kearney; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

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