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About 47,000 of the buyers were first-time gun owners. Buyers cited concerns about civil unrest, economic recessions and the release of thousands of state prisons.
The increase has sparked concern that the increase in the number of people with little or no prior experience with firearms will increase the risk of unintentional injuries, especially when children and adolescents are in the home.
“People are scared of the unknown with elections, protests and Covid. But we have to talk about the risks associated with firearms in the home, ”said Brian Malte, executive director of the Hope and Heal Fund, a gun violence prevention organization. “You can buy a firearm, but that doesn’t mean you know how to handle it, which is essential.”
Experts are also concerned that an increase in gun ownership and purchase, combined with hopelessness, fear and isolation due to the pandemic, could lead to an increase in suicide deaths. Lead author Dr. Nicole Kravtiz-Wirtz said she hoped the statistics and implications laid out in the report could lead to a “mobilization for firearm injury prevention efforts.”
“We want to be proactive,” Kravitz-Wirtz told The Guardian. “We have seen previous spikes in gun sales after mass shootings and then spikes in firearm-related deaths and injuries. We know enough from previous studies and tests to know that we should improve things like secure storage. “
