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    Did Record Gun Sales Cause A Spike In Gun Crime? Researchers Say It's Complicated

    As experts compile last year's data for gun buying and shooting, the debate grows over whether the two are connected.
    by Martin Kaste Mar 03, 2021 3 minutes
    In April 2020, Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee did not list gun stores as essential businesses that could stay open during his Stay-at-Home order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. However, some retail gun shops followed orders by then-President Trump and state Republicans who advised that the firearms industry could remain open. There was an uptick in gun and ammo sales.

    The year of the pandemic was also the year of the gun. Shootings took off in almost every city, large and small. New York saw shootings double, and nationally, non-suicide gun deaths jumped about 25%, according to the independent Gun Violence Archive.

    At the same time, gun sales were up, too. In fact, 2020 marked the best year for gun sales — ever. The rush for firearms began in the spring, with the first Coronavirus lockdowns, and continued into the summer as TV

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