Amid COVID-19 crisis, gun sales in US shatter records

As the US grapples with the rising number of coronavirus cases, worried Americans are responding to the crisis with a record-breaking number of gun purchases. According to a newly released data by the FBI, more than 3.7 million firearm background checks were conducted in March — the highest number on record in more than 20 years.

Gun shops in many states across the US were declared essential businesses amid the global pandemic. According to a New York Times report, nearly two million guns were purchased throughout the month, making March the second-busiest month for gun sales in American history.

 Out of the record 3.7 million firearm background checks in March, about 2.4 million were conducted for the purpose of gun sales, say industry analysts. That’s an 80% increase compared with the same month last year, said a top firearms industry trade group.

Nearly 1.2 million total gun background checks were conducted in a single week, starting March 16, breaking all previous records going back to 1998, according to FBI data.

By far, the state leading in federal firearm background checks numbers for the month of March was Illinois — with over half a million background checks conducted — followed by Texas, Kentucky, Florida, and California.

People line in a sidewalk filled with tents set up by the homeless, amid an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco, California, US. (PHOTO: REUTERS)

The coronavirus pandemic situation in the US is worsening as the country has so far recorded over 6,000 deaths and more than 245,500 cases.

In mid-March, President Donald Trump announced sweeping new guidelines, including a recommendation that Americans stay home and avoid public gatherings and discretionary travel.

Apparently, the number of firearm background checks conducted through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System is the best available proxy for gun sales in the US.

Under US law, federally licensed gun dealers must run checks on every buyer, whether a purchase is made in a store or at a gun show. A buyer presents his or her identification to the seller and fills out a form from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), which lists the buyer’s age, address, race, and any criminal history, CNN reported.

The seller then submits the information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the agency checks the applicant’s info against databases in order to ensure a criminal record does not preclude the purchase.

Interestingly, in most states, private citizens can also sell guns to each other without a background check, and these private sales are not included in the FBI’s numbers.

There is no way to track how many guns were bought and sold in private sales over the past month. Some states also allow residents who have a license to carry a concealed firearm in public to buy guns without a background check, another category of gun sales not included in the FBI’s statistics.

ATF spokesperson Cara Herman said: “We often see seasonal spikes in firearm sales, but, in addition, it is not uncommon to see increased gun sales based on political or social events and attitudes.

“Background checks and other regulatory safeguards are in place to ensure that only those eligible under federal law can obtain and possess firearms.”

A spokesperson for the National Rifle Association — one of the largest gun-rights organizations in the US, suggested that concerns about personal safety during the coronavirus pandemic likely led to the surge of FBI background checks.

“Firearm sales go up in times of uncertainty because Americans know their safety is ultimately in their own hands,” said NRA spokesperson Amy Hunter.

“Headlines remind us about prisoners being furloughed, first responders being told to selectively enforce laws or being minutes away when seconds count. Now, more than ever, it’s important that families have the ability and the tools they need to feel safe and able to defend themselves.”

The downtown area of Los Angeles is pictured after California’s governor Gavin Newsom issued an unprecedented statewide “stay at home order” directing the state’s 40 million residents to hunker down in their homes for the foreseeable future during the global outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in California, US. (PHOTO: REUTERS)

According to some experts, the increase in gun sales, mixed with a historic economic downturn and hundreds of millions of Americans living under shelter-in-place orders, could lead to a possible rise in domestic violence.

“We are deeply appreciative to the Trump Administration and Department of Homeland Security for recognizing the vital role our industry fulfills in our nation,” Lawrence Keane, senior Vice President for the National Shooting Sports Foundation said in a statement.

“We have seen over the past week hundreds of thousands, even millions of Americans choosing to exercise their right to keep and bear arms to ensure their safety and the safety of loved ones during these uncertain times.

He added: “Americans must not be denied the ability to exercise that right to lawfully purchase and acquire firearms during times of emergency.”

Advocacy groups in favour of stricter gun control have sounded an alarm amid what many view as a time of unprecedented national fear and anxiety.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story and may not have modified or edited by Quickclarity news)

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