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
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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