Urgent Request: Panic and anxiety over the coronavirus have caused gun sales to skyrocket. Across the country, gun stores are selling out of inventory, with some reporting more than a 1000% increase in ammo sales. Guns don’t make us safer, and this surge comes with huge risks. It is a matter of public health that we #StopTheCoronavirusGunSurge! Will you please join me in urging your governor and state legislators to enact public safety measures to prevent gun violence during this crisis?
Have you seen the headlines? Gun stores are reporting long lines around the block and soldout inventory. Many gun sellers are saying they haven’t seen such record sales since Hurricane Katrina or 9/11. Sellers themselves have voiced concerns about the deluge of first-time buyers, worrying that new buyers might not know the basics of gun safety and responsible gun ownership.
Already, we’ve experienced a number of gun deaths related to the gun surge. Last week in New Mexico, a 19-year-old man who purchased a shotgun in response to the coronavirus unintentionally shot and killed his 13-year-old cousin. In Michigan, two roommates were arguing about coronavirus lockdown restrictions, and one fatally shot the other.