No shootings in US schools for first March in two decades due to coronavirus lockdown as gun dealers report spike in sales

LAST month looks to have been the first March in nearly two decades without a shooting in a US school, according to Washington Post journalist Robert Klemko, yet at the same time gun dealers around the country reported a spike in firearms sales.

The coronavirus pandemic means schools across the United States have been shut since early last month, leaving kids across the country having to get used to home schooling and online learning. And while they might be missing their classmates, at least they haven’t had to deal with coping with yet another story about young lives lost due to firearms.

But while there were no incidents matching the description of a typical school shooting in US schools in March this year, there were nevertheless a number of instances involving guns.

The Everytown for Gun Safety, which monitors gun violence across the US and which wants to see the country’s gun laws reformed, reported seven shootings on school campuses.

Meanwhile, US press reported that firearms sales and FBI background checks for purchases reached record levels in March as citizens acquired guns due to protect themselves under lockdown over fears that law enforcement officers are stretched to the limit due to the health emergency.

The FBI carried out 3.7 million firearm background checks in March, the highest recorded number for more than 20 years. March 20 saw a record 210,308 for checks in just one day.