Well, it appears to me that all those ‘new guns’ in the hands of all those ‘new gun owners’ hasn’t resulted in much, if any, increase in the ooltra-ooltra violence some people believe guns – in and of themselves – cause.
The impact of Pierce County’s pandemic-related gun sales may surprise you
The bulk ammunition shelves at Columbia Gun Rack in downtown Kennewick, Wash. are mostly barren from a continued surge in purchases during the coronavirus pandemic.
Not all businesses have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Across the nation gun stores are doing brisk business, and here in Pierce County, firearm sales have more than doubled in 2020.
Inventory is flying off the shelves, according to Damien Wongwai, owner and operator of Bull’s Eye Indoor Range in Puyallup. He told a member of the Editorial Board that first-time buyers, fueled by pandemic fears, make up a large percentage of his sales.
It’s important to remember that behind every gun purchase is a real person, with a real family, and due to the fallout of COVID-19 restrictions, they’re potentially going through a life altering experience. Gun safety measures have never been more important.
Pierce County recorded 20,181 firearms transfer applications (FTAs.) in 2019. To date, that number is well-past 44,000, and according to South Sound 911, those FTAs don’t reflect the total number of new firearms in circulation. There can be multiple weapons transferred under one application.
But do guns, guns and more guns also mean an increase in gun-related injuries and deaths? Call it the great unintended experiment of 2020, because we’re about to find out.
A study conducted this year by the University of California Firearm Violence Research Center concluded that “During the coronavirus pandemic, an acute increase in firearm access is associated with an increase in firearm violence.”
But that’s not the calculus playing out in Pierce County, not yet, anyway.
In 2019, the Pierce County medical Examiner reported 126 firearm deaths; By mid November of this year, 112 people in Pierce County have been killed by a gun. Keep in mind, these numbers are preliminary and don’t reflect the cases currently under investigation.
Dr. Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, an epidemiologist at the University of Washington Seattle, does extensive research in gun violence. He told a member of the Editorial Board that it’s too early to draw conclusions.
“Considering the economic hardship crisis, mental health challenges, increasing number of children who stay home for longer hours, and the notable number of firearms purchased, it’s plausible the number of firearm injuries and deaths will increase.”
This should motivate public health officials and law enforcement to up their game when it comes to firearm prevention efforts, but so far, it’s been business as usual; instead of a preemptive campaign promoting gun safety and storage during this time of isolation, the government remains largely reactive, no doubt sending thoughts and prayers to victims after a tragedy occurs.
But hope is on the horizon: With approval of Senate Bill 6288 last year, Washington became the first state in the nation to set up an office dedicated to reducing gun violence and improving safety.
The new Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention will work with law enforcement agencies across the state and make data available for public health research. Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond) who sponsored last year’s bill, told a member of the Editorial Board she’s worried funding for the new office will get siphoned before it gets started.
Let’s hope not.
Unfortunately, decades of NRA lobbying efforts have essentially barred the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from researching gun violence. It’s easier to hit a bullseye with your eyes closed than it is to link data between gun ownership and gun injuries.
But that could change. This is the first year gunshot injuries and fatalities became a notifiable condition mandated by the state of Washington. We agree with the former King County Deputy Prosecutor who said, “We need to shift our stance from a crisis response model to one of early intervention and prevention.”