Just do something.

The cry rang out all across the country in the days following the horrific school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. 

And so began the latest chapter in one of the longest-running debates in American culture.

The gun fight.

Do you think you know what it's like to be a victim of gun violence? Dawn Nasewicz knows all too well.

“I remember the coroner coming in and telling me he was gone. Worst night of my life.”

The memory of that night 12 years ago does not leave Nasewicz. Her son, Aaron Coyle, was shot and killed on a Johnstown street the night after Christmas.

“Extremely senseless, there was no reason for Aaron to be shot,” Nasewicz recalled. “The guy walked away from him. Aaron was on the ground...He shot him and there was no reason.”

According to the most recent Pennsylvania State Police statistics, a firearm was used in  89% of homicides committed in Pennsylvania in 2011. 

That same report shows that nearly 607,000 firearms were purchased, or ownership transferred. 

We don't know if the gun used to kill Aaron Coyle was one of them.

Much of the gun debate today surrounds the so-called assault weapons, like the AR-15, the gun used in Newtown. But experts say those guns are rarely used to commit crimes.

“What our research shows is maybe 2-to-8 percent of firearm homicides involve an assault weapon,” said Greg Ridgeway of the National Institute of Justice. “Even if you eliminate those, the perps in homicides will replace them with other forms of handguns. It would be a less lethal handgun, but they'd probably still have access to a firearm of some kind.”

Bob Turkovich is the proprietor of Cove Creek Outfitters in Bedford.

“Knock on wood, I've never sold a gun that's been used in a crime,” he said.

And he's sold a lot of guns. Thousands of guns in an average year, he said. Since the talk of a possible gun ban, business at his store has tripled.

He says a lot of people from different backgrounds are buying guns these days.

“Women are buying guns,” he said. “Their husbands come in and they're buying guns. A lot of first time buyers. A lot of people who've bought guns in the past  are adding to their repertoire.”

Guns shops all over the country have been booming with business since talk of a gun ban resurfaced. 

Turkovich said he can't keep certain types of guns in stock. 

“Manufacturers are overwhelmed,” he said. “Like myself they can't plan for a rush on something. It's like if you go to a grocery store before a storm and try to buy milk or bread. It's gone.” 

The United States ranks number one in the world in the number of guns per capita. Americans buy millions of guns every year from nearly 130,000 federally licensed firearms dealers.

According to a recent Time/CNN poll, 49% of homes in America have a gun. 

As 6 News found out, in Pennsylvania, it's very easy to buy a gun. 

Click here for that part of the story.