Gun & Ammunition Sales Surge Across US Amid Coronavirus
As fears over the coronavirus continues to surge across the US, gun and ammunition sales follow suit, skyrocketing state to state.
While panicked Americans pack out grocery stores, stripping them bare, guns and ammunition have also begun flying off the shelves, as consumers enter into a frenzy, fueled by fear and the unknown.
RELATED: First Clinical Trial Of Coronavirus Vaccine Begins In Seattle
ABC News reports that although gun sales usually rise every election year, as we saw in 2016, this past January and February has outpaced 2016 by nearly 350,000. Idaho, Atlanta and Los Angeles gun stores have already seen lines stretch down blocks, while Ammo.com reports that sales have gone up nearly 70 percent from Feb. 23 to March 4, a period of 11 days.
Additionally, a breakdown of sales shows that while some are over concerns that elected officials may try to restrict access to firearms, other sales are from those who are first time buyers, and those who are existing owners adding to their collection or stocking up in fear over the novel virus.
RELATED: Virginia Gun Control: Lawmakers Reject Assault Weapons Ban
Furthermore, one Atlanta resident, 61-year-old Betsy Terrell of Decatur, shares a fear of increase crime should the economy fall.
She adds, “I was beginning to see people acting oddly. That was a little unnerving. I feel there’s potential political upheaval. … It’s scary. It’s only now I’ve felt this overwhelming need to arm myself to protect myself.”