COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gun laws have been a highly discussed issue in Ohio, and that’s expected to continue with a new president. 

What You Need To Know

  • Gun sales were already on the rise since the pandemic started, and some expect the increase to continue

  • The Buckeye Firearms Association expects President-elect Biden to pursue an assault weapons ban, red flag laws, and limit high capacity magazines

  • Toby Hoover, founder of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, sees Biden's victory as a step in the right direction

Rob Sexton, legislative affairs director for the Buckeye Firearms Association, has noticed the spike in gun sales in 2002.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it increases more over the next couple of months, although it’s hard to imagine it getting a whole lot more brisk than it already is. There’s no doubt that there’s a threat on the horizon in terms of the Second Amendment and in gun ownership, so I wouldn’t be surprised if sales picked up even more.” 

Sexton says COVID-19, civil unrest, and the election of Joe Biden, who’s advocated for stricter gun laws, could contribute to a spike in gun sales. 

“COVID-19 is the first time at least in I think in our lives, in which we saw the government step in and really regulate what people can do in their everyday life,” said Sexton. "I think we’ve got an obligation to communicate clearly the problems with those kind of provisions, and of course, you know the courts are a place where a lot of this stuff winds up.” 

Toby Hoover, with the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, though, is happy to see Biden win.

"It’s quite promising, and I think if you combine that with his history in the past, what he’s worked on over the years, it gives us a lot of hope. I mean, before it was just a closed subject. Nobody was going to entertain doing anything about guns.” 

She hopes Biden will bring back some of the Obama era regulations on gun safety, and hopes he will encourage more research into how to prevent shootings. 

"What’s the best way we can cut down on this? Because it comes from so many different angles. You know, whether you’re talking suicide, whether you’re talking homicide, domestic violence, police violence. I mean, it just goes on and on and on. And it all has a connection with easy access to firearms,” Hoover said.