Background checks for new gun purchases in Florida during March – when the coronavirus pandemic worsened dramatically – surged to set records, according to the latest figures the FBI released Wednesday. The March number of more than 192,000 checks reflecting gun purchases in Florida is higher than any month in more than two decades. Nationally, the FBI said, it conducted more than 9 million background checks during the first three months of the year – also a record. Angel Serrano, 24, of Bonita Springs, bought his first firearm on March 20 – the busiest day of the busiest month ever for background checks in the United States. Everyone in the crowded gun store was talking about the virus, he said in an interview. Serrano said his purchase of a Sig Sauer P365 9mm handgun wasn’t entirely due to coronavirus concerns, but the outbreak motivated him to purchase sooner. He said he was concerned that law enforcement may not be able to help him or his family quickly in an emergency. “They won’t be able to be there in a second,” Serrano said, echoing concerns among gun buyers. “It does take some time. So having that mindset of knowing that I’m the first line of defense for myself was my initial reason to want to purchase a firearm.” The FBI’s new figures – for checks conducted through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System – reflect fears many feel about the virus and its implications. The numbers announced Wednesday were the first to reflect sales through the end of March, as the U.S. suffered more than 3,800 deaths from the virus. The 192,000 checks in Florida during March were 54,000 higher than the previous record in 2018. The three-month total in Florida was more than 418,000 background checks. The number […]
