Post-COVID Crime Data Debunks
Gun Control's 'Wild West' Narrative

As Gun Ownership Surges, Murder Rates Fall

Since COVID-era uncertainty began, millions of Americans bought firearms, many for the first time. Critics insisted that more guns in private hands would inevitably mean more violent crime and more criminal misuse of firearms — a national slide into a modern "Wild West." The most recent national and city-level data don't support that claim. Even as lawful gun ownership expanded dramatically, violent crime, homicide and several firearm-involved crimes have trended downward in recent years.

This is not a claim that guns "cause" crime to fall. Crime is driven by offender behavior, enforcement, prosecution and local conditions. But it is a direct rebuttal to the overly simplistic gun control talking point that increases in lawful gun ownership will absolutely increase murder and firearm violence.

Record Increase in Lawful Ownership Since COVID

The United States added tens of millions of first-time gun owners since 2020. NSSF estimates about 26.2 million Americans bought their first firearm between 2020 through the end of 2024, including an estimated 8.4 million first-time buyers in 2020 alone. NSSF-adjusted verification background checks tied to retail sales suggest Americans purchased roughly 21.1 million firearms in 2020 and about 14.6 million in 2025. …