Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health

Population Health Research Brief Series

Pandemic Mask Mandates and Closures Were Linked to Increased Gun Violence

Douglas A. Wolf, Emily W. Wiemers, Iliya Gutin, Jennifer Karas Montez, and Shannon M. Monnat

January 2026

Douglas A. Wolf

Emily Wiemers

Iliya Gutin

Jennifer Karas Montez

Shannon Monnat

Sociology Department

Center for Aging and Policy Studies

Lerner Center Population Health Research Brief Series

United States

Douglas A. Wolf

Emily Wiemers

Iliya Gutin

Jennifer Karas Montez

Shannon Monnat

Abstract

Gun violence worsened substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic, with fatal gun injuries rising 28.4% from 2019 to 2020. Were policies designed to slow the spread of COVID-19 linked to this increase? This brief examines how masking requirements and activity restrictions were associated with gun violence across U.S. counties. The authors find that counties’ indoor masking requirements were linked to a 28% increase in gun violence, while business closures and restrictions were associated with a 4.2% increase.

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