Gun ownership on the rise amid mass shootings
(CNN, KYMA/KECY) - Gun ownership in the U.S. is on the rise, and mass shootings and the pandemic might have helped stimulate the country's appetite for guns.
Meet Jenn and Shelby. They don't want their last names used; they are friends, colleagues, and gun enthusiasts.
Both from Long Island, New York City adjacent, and while they are both professionals, Jenn has her permit and is yet buy a gun.
"I’ve wanted to buy one for years, I’m also one who has lived alone now for a couple of years now, so probably for safety mainly but I do enjoy coming to the ranges and shooting," Jenn said.
She’s trying them out seeing which one is the best fit for her. Shelby, like many Americans, made the decision to arm-up during the pandemic.
After she answered "yes" to if she feels safer with a gun, Shelby explained her reason saying, "Because I’m not sure the chaos is over and I feel that a lot of people have guns and that it would be good to have. I’m a single female, I live on my own. Why not protect myself?"
Background checks surged
The number of both state and national instant criminal background checks, a check required before one can purchase a gun and a rough indicator of how many people are either purchasing or possibly being issued a gun permit, surged during the pandemic, from under 30 million to nearly 40 million.
As of now, in states like New York, officials say there's a backlog of gun-permit applications with more applying everyday.
"The licensing agencies are inundated with applications. During COVID, the applications quadrupled," said Mike Marinello, owner of South Shore Sportsman.
Even in a state like New York, where gun ownership is highly regulated, business at South Shore Sportsman has never been better saying, "40% of my clientele comes from New York City."
Fear of not having a gun
For many, the constant headlines about crime drives them to gun ownership. For others, it's the mass shootings and the fear of not having a gun if everyone else does.
"In the immediate aftermath in most states, it would lead to an increase in sales because everybody looks at the news, and even though it's a terrible event, they all say the same thing, 'There's going to be a new law,'" Marinello spoke.
So who out there is buying guns and why? A lot of people in the medical profession, retirees, and housewives; all of them are gun users. It's not just concerns about the pandemic, or about crime that is driving gun sales. Rather, it all becomes a bit of a feedback loop. The more they see violence, and the more they're concerned they are that everyone else around them is armed, the more they feel they too need a gun.
A Northeastern and Harvard study found that about 7.5 million people bought guns for the first time from January 2019 to April 2021. About half of those new gun owners were female.
