“Fear, especially uncertainty, drives gun purchasing for a lot of people. The #1 reason people buy&own guns (in US) is for personal protection, so when you’re seeing in the news things getting shut down, virus spreading, that brings a lot of uncertainty.” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fbi-firearm-background-checks-coronavirus-gun-sales_n_5e85cafec5b6f55ebf48a3ac

Though gun safety groups warned that an increase in gun sales could drive up deadly domestic violence incidents, suicides & accidental deaths, the US federal gvt deemed gun retailers “essential” although federal guidance doesn’t mandate states to list gun retailers as essential