Friday 29th of March 2024

the other virus......

guns

Americans grappling with the rapidly-spreading coronavirus purchased more guns last month than at any other point since the FBI began collecting data over 20 years ago. Why?

With the death toll climbing every day and most of the country under some form of lockdown, many Americans seem to be turning to guns as part of their response.

And it's not just about fears over social disorder, say experts.

What do the figures show?

The FBI conducted 3.7m background checks in March 2020, the highest total since the instant background check programme began in 1998.

The figure represents an increase of 1.1m over March 2019.

On 21 March alone, 210,000 checks were done, the largest one-day record ever.

According to US media, the FBI data indicates that over two million guns were purchased in March alone.

Illinois led with nearly a half million sales, followed by Texas, Kentucky, Florida, and California.

Gun shops across the country report that they are unable to re-stock shelves quickly enough to cope with the rush.

The latest figure also tops the previous high of 3.3 million, which was set in December 2015 after the Obama administration raised the possibility of restricting assault rifles in the wake of a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California.

Why are sales skyrocketing?

According to Georgia State University law school professor Timothy Lytton, an expert on the US gun industry, most new gun sales are being motivated by two factors that have been spurred on by the coronavirus crisis.



https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52189349

one more shooting...

Sixteen people, one of them a police officer, have been killed in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia after a gunman dressed as a police officer went on the country's deadliest rampage.

Key points:
  • Police say there may be more bodies in a number of burnt buildings across Nova Scotia
  • The 51-year-old suspect was a local dental worker
  • Police say the victims seem "very random in nature"

 

Gxxxxxxx Wxxxxxx, a 51-year-old dental worker, died after being arrested. 

Police said he was at one point dressed as a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and was driving a fake police car.

Constable Heidi Stevenson, a mother of two and 23-year RCMP veteran, was killed in the incident and a male officer was in hospital with non-lethal injuries, RCMP Chief Superintendent Chris Leather told reporters.

 

Read more:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-20/canadian-gunman-dressed-as-police...

 

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