Wed Nov 17

Gun violence soared during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study finds – but the reasons why are complex

Written by Paddy Ssentongo, Assistant Research Professor of Neural Engineering, Penn State

CC BY-ND ^[1] In a new study, we found that the overall U.S. gun violence rate rose by 30%^[2] during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the year before. In 28 states, the rates were substantially higher between March 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, compared to the pre-pandemic period from Feb. 1, 2019, through Feb. 29, 2020. There were 51,063 incidents of gun violence events resulting in injury or death in the United States in the first 13 months of the pandemic compared to 38,919 incidents in the same time span pre-pandemic. Early in the pandemic, gun sales in the United States surged ^[3], with more than 20% of these purchases by first-time buyers. And access to firearms is a well-established risk factor for gun-related suicide and homicide ^[4]. This sharp increase in firearm purchases raises serious concerns, since the combination of increased stress, social disruption and isolation during the pandemic created a perfect storm of conditions that could contribute to increased gun violence. These trends were also concerning since the increased rates of gun violence could strain the health care infrastructure that was overtaxed due to an unprecedented influx of COVID-19 patients. We are a team of scientists ^[5] and physicians ^[6] with expertise in preventive health care and modeling diseases of public health concern. The pandemic has been associated with psychological distress ^[7] due to increased isolation, increased rates of domestic violence ^[8], a disruption of social networks ^[9] and unemployment ^[10]. But much more research is needed to get a clear picture of how all of these variables may have contributed to overall gun violence. We used a publicly available database of gun violence events and divided those events by the number of people living in each state. We also added other factors such as age, race and ethnicity, and we recorded the status of each state’s stay-at-home orders and the number of COVID-19 cases. We found that gun violence rates increased substantially in 28 states, or 56% of all states, scattered throughout the U.S., without any clear pattern. The increase in gun violence was highest in Minnesota, with a 120% increase. Due to ongoing police investigations, we were advised to not separate out counts of suicides and homicides before investigations are completed. To get a fuller picture, it will be important for future studies to assess comparisons of suicide and homicide rates during this same period. The spike in gun violence in the era of COVID-19 comes as a stark reminder that greater public health resources are needed to address and prevent gun violence, even as we continue to work to mitigate the pandemic. [Over 115,000 readers rely on The Conversation’s newsletter to understand the world. Sign up today ^[11].] References^{^} CC BY-ND (creativecommons.org)^{^} overall U.S. gun violence rate rose by 30% (doi.org)^{^} gun sales in the United States surged (www.theguardian.com)^{^} risk factor for gun-related suicide and homicide (doi.org)^{^} of scientists (pennstate.pure.elsevier.com)^{^} and physicians (pennstate.pure.elsevier.com)^{^} psychological distress (doi.org)^{^} increased rates of domestic violence (doi.org)^{^} social networks (doi.org)^{^} unemployment (www.ilo.org)^{^} Sign up today (theconversation.com)

Gun violence soared during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study finds – but the reasons why are complex

AI Is Already Here. The Question Is Whether Your Business Is Built for It

Tech companies are blaming massive layoffs on AI. What’s really going on?

Exploring Regional Australia by Road: Why Safety Planning and Truck Insurance Matter More Than You Think

WaterNSW Regulation remake on public display

Australia’s gender pay gap is narrowing – and the public spotlight seems to be helping

Tips for Reworking and Customizing Your Whole House

Times Magazine

Efficient Water Carts for Dust Control

How new rules could stop AI scrapers destroying the internet

Why Car Enthusiasts Are Turning to Container Shipping for Interstate Moves

What to know if you’re considering an EV

Epson launches ELPCS01 mobile projector cart

Governance Models for Headless CMS in Large Organizations

The Times Features

Taste Port Douglas 10-year celebration

Is dark chocolate healthier than milk chocolate? 2 dietitians explain

Compulsory super is higher than ever at 12%. But cutting it would hurt low-paid workers most

Grants open for port communities across the Hunter and Northern Rivers regions

AI Is Already Here. The Question Is Whether Your Business Is Built for It

Cleared to Land — and Cleared to Die: How a Runway Failure Killed Two Pilots in Seconds

Leader of The Nationals Matt Canavan - press conference

The Power Of An Uncomfortable Love

US country favourite Larry Fleet joins 2026 Gympie Music Muster