Gun homicides and non-suicide-related shootings took approximately 19,300 lives, a 25 percent increase from 2019. In fact, 2020 was one of the deadliest years on record for the United States. Record increases in gun sales, children homebound like never before, social isolation, and economic struggles due to COVID-19 put many people at increased risk for gun violence. Over this same period, the gun violence epidemic has also surged.
72 “COVID-19 United States Cases by County,” Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, accessed March 3, 2021. One year later, there were over 28.7 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States and 515,700 deaths.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the first US death from COVID-19 on March 1, 2020.
