@article {Lyonsinjuryprev-2020-043872, author = {Vivian H Lyons and Miriam J Haviland and Deborah Azrael and Avanti Adhia and M Alex Bellenger and Alice Ellyson and Ali Rowhani-Rahbar and Frederick P Rivara}, title = {Firearm purchasing and storage during the COVID-19 pandemic}, elocation-id = {injuryprev-2020-043872}, year = {2020}, doi = {10.1136/injuryprev-2020-043872}, publisher = {BMJ Publishing Group Ltd}, abstract = {To better understand motivations behind purchase and storage of firearms during the COVID-19 pandemic, we used Amazon Mechanical Turk to conduct an online survey of individuals who did and did not purchase a firearm since 1 January 2020 in response to COVID-19. The survey was fielded between 1 and 5 May 2020. We asked about motivations for purchase, changes in storage practices and concern for themselves or others due to COVID-19. There were 1105 survey respondents. Most people who purchased a firearm did so to protect themselves from people. Among respondents who had purchased a firearm in response to COVID-19 without prior household firearm ownership, 39.7\% reported at least one firearm was stored unlocked. Public health efforts to improve firearm-related safety during COVID-19 should consider increasing access to training and framing messages around the concerns motivating new firearm purchase.}, issn = {1353-8047}, URL = {https://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/early/2020/09/17/injuryprev-2020-043872}, eprint = {https://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/early/2020/09/17/injuryprev-2020-043872.full.pdf}, journal = {Injury Prevention} }