California homicides surged 31% in 2020. New gun sales are also skyrocketing

California homicides increased 31% in 2020, the same year hundreds of thousands of new guns were purchased at record levels in the Golden State, according to annual data released Thursday by the Department of Justice.

California recorded 2,202 homicides last year, up from 1,679 in 2019, according to the state agency.

Handgun sales in 2020 also surged a record 65.5%, and long gun sales increased 45.9%, an increase second only to 2016.

In total, 686,435 hand gun sales and 480,401 long gun sales were documented last year.

Attorney General Rob Bonta said the department is still analyzing the data to determine reasons for such dramatic numbers, but said the pandemic could have had an effect.

“I think the numbers reflect some of the changes to peoples’ lives,” Bonta said. “We saw things like domestic violence-related calls for assistance involving a firearm rise dramatically by 42%. And we also saw a surge in the purchasing of guns from folks of all different walks of life and places in the state of California. And with more weapons, more economic stagnation, more desperation, I think those are all potential components and drivers of where we are today.”

A “supermajority” of homicides also involved the use of a gun, Bonta said. Nearly 75% of homicides reported in 2020 involved a firearm, according to the data.

Bonta earlier this week also reported that hate crimes against Asian American and Pacific Islanders escalated 107% in 2020. Hate crimes overall also increased 31% from 2019, and 430 out of the 1,330 incidents reported were referred to prosecution.

Bonta encouraged Californians to leverage the state’s so-called red flag laws, which he said are not being used enough to mitigate gun violence.

Under these laws, family members, coworkers, employers and school employees can petition a court for a gun violence or domestic violence restraining order for someone in possession of a firearm and thought to be a risk to themselves or others.

A 2019 study from researchers at UC Davis identified 21 instances in which gun violence restraining orders helped prevent mass shootings.

Twenty-one mass shootings in California have already occurred so far in 2021, according to the Gun Violence Archive, including one on May 26 at a San Jose light-rail yard that left nine dead. The shooting suspect was accused of a history of violent behavior.

“There needs to be a way to remove firearms from a person who is in crisis, clearly dangerous and at risk of harming themselves or others,” said Amanda Wilcox, Amanda Wilcox is the legislation and policy chair for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “In so many shootings, whether it’s a suicide, domestic violence, a mass shooting, a school or workplace shooting, someone typically sees the signs before the tragedy occurs.”

Bonta said that while those laws have worked in some cases, “there is still more work to be done.”

“This is not about taking guns away from law-abiding citizens. This is about a wife who hears her husband reputedly threaten to kill himself or others, or about the employee whose coworker makes comments about violent retribution against other colleagues. It’s about paying attention to our loved ones and the people we work and go to school with.”

The Department of Justice encourages domestic violence victims to call 9-11 or the following hotlines:

▪ National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233)

▪ The Victims of Crime Resource Center: 1-800-VICTIMS (1-800-842-8467)

This story was originally published July 1, 2021 at 2:35 PM.