FBI Runs Record Number of Gun Background Checks in March

The FBI conducted approximately 4.7 million background checks for individuals purchasing firearms in last month, which is a 36% increase from the previous month. CNN reported Thursday that more than 2 million of those checks were for new gun purchases; while the amount of background checks doesn't directly indicate to gun sales, groups such as the National Shooting Sports Federation (NSSF) compare FBI background checks with actual sales data to determine sales figures. As for the source of the surge, NSSF spokesman Mark Oliva told CNN he thought the threat of gun control legislation was the catalyst for the guns sale surge, while others suggest some of the sales came from people who their stimulus checks to buy guns. The last time gun sales spiked significantly was March 2020, when the start of the COVID-19 pandemic caused Americans to hoard guns and bullets, in addition to household supplies such as toilet paper. The surge comes after the Democratic-majority House passed legislation last month to tighten gun-purchase background checks, and after Democrats renewed calls for action on guns after the recent mass shootings in Colorado and Georgia last month. The story received wide coverage from across the political spectrum. Outlets from the left and center tended to mention recent mass shootings and Democrats' gun reform push in headlines and prominently in articles, while some coverage from the right tended to highlight those who pointed to COVID-19 stimulus checks as the reason for the surge.