John–

Gun violence was already a crisis in the United States before COVID-19.
More than 100 Americans were dying from gun violence every day, and over
230 more were shot and wounded.

To make matters worse, COVID-19 and a surge in gun sales have weakened the
country's background check system, posing the threat of an even deadlier
gun violence crisis.

[ [link removed] ]Read our new report to learn more about the issue, and what it will
take to fix our country's background check system.

During the pandemic, our nation's background check system has been
overwhelmed by a record-breaking surge in gun sales. Between March and
November of this year, 43 percent more checks were processed than in the
same period in 2019. And John, this unparalleled strain on the
system has been rife with consequences.

[ [link removed] ]Background checks in the United States increased 43% between March and
November 2020 compared to the same time period in 2019.

Here are just some of the things we're dealing with:

* By the end of 2020, an estimated 600,000 background checks will have
taken longer than three business days. Because of the Charleston
loophole, all sales that are delayed past this deadline can legally
proceed. That means at least 7,500 illegal purchasers could have
acquired guns this way—more than during the last two years combined.

* Posts by people looking to buy guns on websites specializing in
no-background-check gun sales have also spiked during the pandemic,
nearly doubling in 2020 compared to 2019.

* Demand has skyrocketed for ghost guns in 2020. These are unregulated
do-it-yourself firearms that are not subject to background checks, do
not have serial numbers, and cannot be traced when they are recovered
at crime scenes.

John, these findings in our research make it abundantly clear
that we must fix the loopholes in America's background check system.

[ [link removed] ]Read our new report to learn what our leaders can do to address this
crisis and ensure guns are not sold without a completed background check.

Thank you for being a part of this movement, and thank you for taking the
time to learn more about issues critical to the future of the fight to end
gun violence.

Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund


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