China Global Television Network
In 2020, the total number of gun violence deaths in the United States reached 43 519, according to Gun Violence Archive (GVA). This represents a 25 percent increase on the previous year - despite the country being in the grip of a pandemic that has claimed more lives in the US than anywhere else in the world.
Despite a startling rise in this grim number, it's still legal to run a gun shop in the US as long as one holds a Federal Firearms License (FFL).
Willie, 70, explains what it’s like to be a gunsmith and a gun shop owner in California.
According to Willie, despite the fact that there are state and federal regulations governing gun ownership, his store is thriving and he could see up to 50 customers a day coming through the door to purchase anything from guns and ammunition to parts for repairing their firearms.
Most of his customers are recreational shooters or hunters and he always custom makes parts for guns.
Willie says he grew up around guns and Western movies where there was always a clear distinction between good and bad, but thinks that these lines have blurred for young people today.
All his children have been taught how to handle a firearm, he says.
He also hopes the younger generation can learn the safe and right way of using firearms, especially from their parents.