People Who Purchased Firearms During Pandemic More Likely to Be Suicidal

People who purchase a firearm during the pandemic are more likely to be suicidal than other firearm owners, according to a Rutgers study. The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that about 70 percent of those who bought a firearm during the COVID-19 pandemic reported having suicidal thoughts throughout their lives, compared to 37 percent of the rest of the community of gun owners. “People who were motivated to purchase firearms during COVID-19 might have been driven by anxiety that leaves them vulnerable to suicidal ideation,” said Michael Anestis, executive director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center and an associate professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health. To read the full story.