China News Service, October 21. According to the British "Guardian" report, a new study claims that nearly 110,000 people in California, the United States, have purchased guns due to fears of the new crown epidemic, violence and chaos.
The surge in gun sales worries experts that the risk of suicide and fatal domestic violence will rise.
Data map: San Francisco police sorted out the recovered guns.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Liu Guanguan
According to reports, recently, researchers at the University of California, Davis found that about 110,000 people in California bought guns due to the epidemic, of which 47,000 were their first purchases.
Buyers are concerned about the recent unrest, economic recession, and thousands of criminals released from California prisons.
Experts worry that for people with inexperienced guns, the increase in gun purchases will increase the risk of accidental injuries, especially when children and teenagers are at home.
Brian Malte, executive director of the Hope and Heal Foundation, said, “People are afraid of unknown elections, protests, and the new crown epidemic, but we must talk about the risks of guns at home. People buy guns. It doesn’t mean you know how to use it.”
Experts also worry that the surge in the number of people who own and buy guns, combined with the despair, fear and isolation brought about by the epidemic, may lead to an increase in the number of suicides.
Walz, the first author of the study, expressed the hope that the research data and impact can mobilize people to make efforts to prevent gun accidents.
Dr. Dick, a trauma surgeon at the University of California, Los Angeles, said in response to the study: "I have never been so worried as I am now." He said: "Americans have a culture of turning to gun protection, and now, people are worried like never before. Our own safety and financial security. We have seen this in California."