Gun sales continue to surge across the Seattle-area
After an initial spike in March, western Washington firearm sales remained far higher than usual over the first half of 2020.
Some point to the pandemic, others point to protests over racial injustice as prompting waves of sales. In the end, it has local officials noticing that a lot more guns have arrived in their communities.
When a customer purchases a firearm in Washington state, they must wait 10 business days before receiving the gun. During that time, the seller submits the customer’s information to their local police department for a background check.
In the first seven months of 2020, Seattle processed 9,426 background checks for gun sales. That is already a 55% increase over the city’s average for an entire year.
Seattle is not alone. Comparing background checks, June 2020 to June 2019:
- Kirkland saw a 145% increase.
- Kent saw a 119% increase.
- Redmond, a 268% increase. The last seven Junes have averaged 68 background checks. This June saw 318 background checks.
