The onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 brought with it grave concerns about societal chaos, which drove Americans to wait in long lines outside gun stores just to get a chance to buy something to protect themselves and their families. As the pandemic set in and Americans faced lockdowns, prisoner releases, and shortages, accompanied by a spike in homicides, demand for guns stayed at record levels.
Stephen Gutowski is a contributing writer at The Dispatch and the founder of The Reload, which focuses on sober, serious firearms reporting and analysis.
