"Everyone feels scared." The boom in gun purchases in the United States has never gone away

 Under the influence of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, various large-scale protests, and the current political atmosphere, Americans who have a tradition of holding guns are stepping up to buy guns and ammunition. According to a report by Agence France-Presse on the 7th, whether in rural or urban areas, Americans are "crazy" buying guns to protect their own safety. More and more people are applying for gun permits, and the prices of many guns have risen sharply.

Agence France-Presse said that since a white policeman in Minneapolis violently enforced the law in May this year, resulting in the death of African-American Freud, anti-racist protests shocked the United States, although most of the protests were peaceful. , But there were also incidents of robbery and arson. "The constant violence on TV made me feel more insecure," said Dumas, a white woman in Mississippi. She was a lecturer at a local shooting school and had just persuaded her husband David to take a gun safety course. Also feeling unsafe are African Americans. An anonymous person who bought the first pistol not long ago said, "We are living in difficult times and this country is full of turbulence."

According to reports, some Americans buy guns to protect the lives of their families. Matt Zola, a white man in his 40s, is stocking ammunition recently. He bought his first gun at the beginning of the new crown pneumonia pandemic in late February this year. "When I heard about what happened, I thought that many people would be unemployed, some people might be robbed, and I wanted to protect my family," Matt Zola said. Edwin Tavares, 51, currently lives in New York, and he is also concerned about the rising crime rate there. According to statistics, the number of murders in New York increased by 40% over the same period last year, and shootings increased by 91%.

Agence France-Presse quoted gun shop owner Andrew Chernov as saying that since February, business has been getting better and better, and there may even be the longest period of growth he has seen in his career. "From the people driving the garbage truck to the people sitting in the office, everyone feels scared," Chernoff said. The people who bought guns from him cover all kinds of people from 18 to 80 years old.

Chaid Winkler, the general manager of a shooting school, also said that the number of first-time gunners and the number of first-time shooting courses has greatly increased, and the number of ordinary classes has increased by 50 to 60%. Due to rising demand, the price of guns has also increased, and a semi-automatic rifle that usually sells for $499 has now sold for $800. Mr. Li, a Chinese living in New York State, told the Global Times reporter on the 7th that local pistols and semi-automatic rifles have been out of stock recently, and they need to be ordered at least 2 weeks to 1 month in advance. In addition, the most used 5.56mm bullets are also in short supply, and some stores will sell out within a few hours of stocking them.

The report quoted US federal government statistics as saying that the number of background checks required for licensed dealers to purchase guns confirmed the surge in demand. Last year, the number of such surveys averaged 2.3 million per month, but in June this year it reached 3.9 million. According to data previously released by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), a trade organization for the gun industry, the United States conducted more than 19 million gun background checks in the first half of 2020. In June, the state of Georgia's background checks for gun purchases increased three times over the same period last year. At the same time, Oklahoma, New York, Illinois, and Minnesota applied for background checks for gun purchases, which doubled from the same period last year.