To the editor: It is disconcerting that some Americans have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by arming up.

In these stressful and uncertain times, we have been urged to take care of one another through acts of human kindness and concern for our friends, family and those putting their lives on the line to keep us safe. Instead, some are prepping to kill.

A gun in the home increases the risk of homicide, suicide or unintentional shooting of someone in that home. A woman in a domestic violence situation is more likely to be killed if her partner has a gun. Storing the firearm safely (unloaded, locked and with the ammunition locked separately) can mitigate some of the risk.

These gun owners say they fear unrest. The irony is that they are the ones the rest of us have to be afraid of.


Loren Lieb, Northridge

The writer is board chairwoman of Woman Against Gun Violence.

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To the editor: Firearms are a leading cause of death for children and teenagers. The vast majority of these deaths occur in the home.


The only thing we have to fear is fear itself when it comes to arming ourselves against a social uprising. The chances of being a victim of gun violence increase greatly if guns are present in a home.

Gun owners need to be held accountable for safely storing their weapons, especially now that children are not at school.

Fiona Carroll, Mission Viejo