Has there been a rise in gun sales during the pandemic?
By Tory Coffin
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YES
Two Wellesley College economists estimate that nearly three million more firearms have been sold since March 2020 than would have been sold otherwise during these months. This spike in gun sales coincides with President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency due to COVID-19 on March 13. In June, 3.9 million firearms were sold, the highest on record since data collection began in 1998.
Researchers at John Hopkins University associate the rise in gun sales with both preparation for a “complete breakdown of society” and fear of increasing government authority during this national emergency.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Brookings The spring 2020 spike in firearm sales
Johns Hopkins Surge of gun sales amid COVID-19 worries experts
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