(12/17/2012) The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn. has sparked a surge in gun sales, according to independent arms dealers across the nation.

Larry Hyatt, owner of North Carolina-based Hyatt Gun Shop, which claims to be America’s largest independently owned gun store, said he had a line out the door on Saturday, forcing him to call in extra salespeople.

"We already have tons of customers because of Christmas, hunting season is peaking right now, and not to mention, the election," Hyatt said. "But this tragedy is pushing sales through the roof," he added. "It's like putting gasoline on a fire."

After high-profile shootings, debate over gun control can cause consumer demand for guns to rise, government records have shown. Industry experts say fears that stricter laws will follow such incidents push people to stock up on firearms before regulators can clamp down.

But last weekend's spike in business was unprecedented, gun shop owners in California, Connecticut and North Carolina told HuffPost.