The pandemic had a significant impact on gun violence in America. Instead of killing people in large groups, murderers were forced to adapt and kill people one at a time. Still, those intent participating in America’s most exceptional trait managed to overcome the odds. WaPo: “In 2020, gun violence killed nearly 20,000 Americans, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive, more than any other year in at least two decades. An additional 24,000 people died by suicide with a gun.”

+ Vox: America’s unique gun violence problem, explained in 16 maps and charts. “Americans make up less than 5 percent of the world’s population, yet they own roughly 45 percent of all the world’s privately held firearms.” Expect that lead to expand in the coming weeks. Gun industry prepares for a surge in demand after back-to-back mass shootings. (That’s about as American as a headline can get, folks.)

+ Colorado suspect got assault weapon 6 days before shooting.

+ “I know where these nine and 10 families are at today. I know what those calls were like yesterday. I think about them in my moment of silence. I hope that they have the strength to get through what is going to be just an incredibly difficult time.” A Colorado Legislator Shares the Story of Losing His Son to Gun Violence.

+ From a NextDraft reader who grew up shopping at King Soopers in Boulder. An Ode to King Soopers and a Vent on Gun Reform.

+ Me in McSweeney’s: I’m a Proud Second Amendment-Loving, Law-Abiding American. And I’m Giving Up My F-22 Raptor Fighter Jet.