Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
Has there been a rise in gun sales during the pandemic?
Saturday, July 18, 2020
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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Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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