VIRGINIA, USA — As tensions mounted in Virginia ahead of the 2020 legislative session, data shows a surge in criminal background checks for gun buyers as pre-filed bills fueled fear that guns would be taken away.
During the month of December, there were an estimated 73,849-gun sales, according to numbers from Virginia State Police.
That includes data from gun shows.
That surge was also evident in northern Virginia, there were 8,390 background checks for gun buyers ran in Fairfax County on the day of a gun show.
According to the Associated Press, a review of data that goes back to 1990 shows the surge in December gun sales is only second to December 2012, when 75,120 transactions were recorded.
That spike in 2012 was immediately after President Barack Obama was elected.
This surge of gun sales came in the same month that hundreds of counties, cities, and towns become second amendment sanctuaries as the newly-led Democratic statehouse took up several gun bills.
Here’s a breakdown of gun sales by month, according to the VSP.
- Jan - 35,764
- Feb - 39,300
- Mar - 45,826
- Apr - 32,663
- May - 28,425
- Jun - 31,501
- July - 30,593
- Aug - 38,256
- Sep - 34,970
- Oct - 38,317
- Nov - 55,086
- Dec - 73,849
According to the Associated Press, many of the gun dealers were first-time buyers and purchasing them because they believe they will be banned.
Three of the discussed gun bills have made it out of the Senate and will now go to the house.
Senate Bill 35 would give the power to local jurisdictions to prohibit guns in any form from a public space during an event.
Senate Bill 70 would require a background check for any firearm transfer. Without one, the seller could be found guilty of a felony. There are exemptions to this bill, including but not limited to if you transfer a gun between family members or a land trust, if it’s an antique, or if it’s at a shooting range and you let somebody use it.
Senate Bill 69 would limit handgun purchases. Prohibiting anyone who’s not a legal firearm dealer from buying more than one gun within a 30-day period. Again, there are exemptions including if you’re in law enforcement or security if you’ve had someone steal your gun, if you’ve purchased the gun from a private sale, or if it is an antique.
The gun bills also prompted gun-rights advocates to lobby at the Virginia Statehouse on Monday as part of Lobby Day.