Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.

According to the FBI, Americans purchased an average of 1.3 million guns each month during the first quarter of 2024.

This amounts to approximately 5.5 million guns bought from January to April 2024, a slight decrease from the same timeframe in 2023. Texas, Florida, and California lead the nation in gun sales, accounting for 22% of the purchases so far this year.

Contrarily, Delaware, New York, Louisiana, and Washington, DC, experienced the most significant drops in sales, with DC leading with a 32% decline. Stricter background checks and more stringent gun laws contributed to these decreases.

This data follows US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s declaration of gun violence as a public health crisis, the first time such an advisory has been issued. In an advisory issued on Tuesday, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said, “Firearm violence is an urgent public health crisis that has led to loss of life, unimaginable pain, and profound grief for far too many Americans.” He added, “America should be a place where all of us can go to school, go to work, go to the supermarket, go to our house of worship, without having to worry that that’s going to put our life at risk.”

In response to the declaration, the Surgeon General has called for legislation mandating the prohibition of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines in civilian hands. Additionally, proposed laws include requirements for secure firearm storage and exploration of ‘smart firearm technology,’ universal background checks, expansion of purchaser licensing laws, and new provisions granting authorities the ability to confiscate firearms from individuals subject to Extreme Risk Protection Orders or Domestic Violence Protection Orders.