California gun sales increased by record number in 2020, state attorney general says
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KABC) -- There was a record increase in the number of handguns legally sold in California in 2020, and the number of long guns sold last year was second only to 2016, according to data release Thursday by state Attorney General Rob Bonta.
Handgun sales spiked 65.5%, from 414,705 in 2019 to 686,435 in 2020, the attorney general's office said. The sale of long guns increased 45.9%, from 329,311 in 2019 to 480,401 in 2020.
In light of the newly released figures, Bonta urged Californians to utilize the state's red flag laws.
Gun violence restraining orders and domestic violence restraining orders "can help local law enforcement temporarily recover firearms or prevent the purchase of firearms by individuals who have shown a probability to commit violence" a news release said.
According to separate reports released Thursday, homicides in California jumped 31% last year, making it the deadliest year since 2007, and Black people accounted for nearly one-third of all victims as the nation's most populous state struggled with the coronavirus pandemic and concerns over racial injustice.
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Bonta said it's unclear why homicides jumped, but he drew a connection to the increase in sales of handguns and long guns.
Nearly three-quarters of 2020 homicides involved a firearm, up from 69% a year earlier, while 911 calls for domestic violence involving a firearm rose 42%.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
