This month, with the terrible killings in Atlanta and Colorado, gun violence returned to the evening news. With in-person congregation mostly eliminated due to the pandemic, it seemed as if there were no shootings in 2020—in schools and public buildings and houses of worship—like those that have filled our television screens for decades. Yet in 2020, with much of the population staying at home, the number of mass shootings (at least four victims wounded) exceeded the year-end totals of the previous five years. With 20,000 dead from guns, Covid-19 did not slow the gun violence trend of the past decade. In frequency, fatalities, and injuries, gun violence during this past year has been hideous.
Indeed, 2020 was the highest gun sales year ever. There were two million guns sold in March 2020 alone, the second busiest month in history, the same month that Covid-19 rates first rose. First-time buyers drove this burst. Americans feared crime waves, police depletion, government repression, and sales persisted throughout the year. Americans stockpiled military weapons and high-volume gun clips. The background check system foundered under record-breaking business. The recorded numbers included only known gun sales; sales of unregistered guns, those bought at gun fairs, and online “ghost guns” assembled by the purchaser, are not tracked.
Read the full article on The Turning Point.