COVID-19 impact: Guess why people in USA are queueing up for buying guns!

The spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) has triggered an unexpected fear in the people in many US states which has surprisingly caused a sharp increase in the sale of guns and ammunition.

The insecurity due to the new and unknown coronavirus, the insecurity springing from the sudden closing down of institutes, public places, restrictions on social gatherings and the insecurity in Asian American that the spread of the virus from Wuhan, China may give rise to hate crimes against them are some reasons for this sudden spurt in gun sales.

California, New York and Washington are the most affected by COVID-19, where the sales of arms has also gone up. But the sales of guns have also gone up in the states which are mildly affected by the virus. There is a surge in the first-time gun buyers who apparently fear a sudden change in the social order due to the epidemic while some gun owners became anxious that the government may impose a restriction on the purchase of ammunition and guns in the wake of the spread of coronavirus, according to Los Angeles Times

Online sales of ammunition also increased after the recent outbreak of the deadly virus in Italy. Ammo.com reported an increase in the transaction by 68% in just 11 days from February 23 to March 4.

A wide range of Asian Americans have also contributed to this surge in the gun sales as they are terrorised by the unseen anti-Asian enmity due to the spread of the corona outbreak from the Wuhan region, Los Angeles Times said citing various reports.

The owner of Laguna Guns & Accessories shop in Elk Grove, south of Sacramento where a woman died of coronavirus in a senior care facility admitted that he has noticed a sudden increase in his sale with many Asian customers and others too stopping at his store and buying guns/ammunition.

Similarly, the owner of Arcadia Firearm and Safety, a gun store in Southern California also admitted to being the busiest in recent days.

Truckers are more precautious as they have to travel to the various and distant parts of the country.

“You got to be protected for all sorts of stuff. Seems like the world has gone mad,” Los Angeles Times quoted a truck traveller.

Scores of gun buyers can be seen in California making a queue outside Martin B. Retting gun and Arcadia Firearms and Safety shops whose owner said it was the busiest he’d ever seen, and not just because of his Asian American clientele.

A customer said, “Politicians and anti-gun people have been telling us for the longest time that we don’t need guns. But right now, a lot of people are truly scared, and they can make that decision themselves.”

President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence Kris Brown was on Monday quoted by Los Angeles Times as saying, “The unintended consequence of these panic-induced purchases in response to the COVID-19 pandemic could be a tragic increase of preventable gun deaths for the loved ones these individuals are trying to protect.” As many became victims in open fires incidents and children were killed with guns at home by accident.