Foundation-funded research is turning a spotlight on a protracted gun-buying surge by Americans, which accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A story in the New York Times cited data from researchers at Northeastern University and the Harvard Injury Control Research Center showing that a fifth of all Americans who bought guns last year were first-time gun owners. Among other insights, the research showed that an increasing percentage of purchasers were women and people of color.
The Times story also cited findings by the University of California, Davis, and The Trace, a nonprofit news organization that reports on gun violence. The two also are Joyce grantees.
The Trace’s updated reporting on the country’s gun-sales boom can be found here.
Northeastern’s Dr. Matthew Miller and Harvard’s Dr. Deborah Azrael presented their new research in more detail during the Foundation’s monthly webinar on emerging research into gun violence prevention on June 3. A recording of their presentation can be found here.
About The Joyce Foundation
Joyce is a nonpartisan, private foundation that invests in evidence-informed public policies and strategies to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region.