Firearm mania in the US has reached another peak with gun owners in three states now having&nbsp;the 'convenience' to buy bullets from vending machines in grocery shops.

Shops in the southern states of Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas allow customers to scan their ID on the ammo dispenser similar to a drink vending machine. After going through the plethora of options, the customer can walk away with rounds for their weapon.&nbsp;

American Rounds, the company which devised the ammo dispenser said its device uses Artificial Technology (AI) and that it is as easy to use as an ATM.

"Our smart retail automated ammo dispensers have built-in AI technology, card scanning capability and facial recognition software," the company said.

"Each piece of software works together to verify the buyer’s age and that the person using the machine matches the identification scanned."

The federal law in the US requires&nbsp;a customer to be at least&nbsp;18 years old to purchase ammunition for long guns such as rifles and shotguns, and at least 21 for handgun bullets. American Rounds claims that its&nbsp;identity verification mechanism in the bullet vending machines is able to ensure that only eligible individuals are making the purchase.&nbsp;

The company says it will continue the rollout of the devices in states where hunting is popular, including Louisiana and Colorado.

A store in&nbsp;Tuscaloosa, Alabama, however, removed the machine after its legality was questioned at a city council meeting. The legal department of the city confirmed that the machines were legal if they met proper zoning requirements.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-gun-violence-crisis-how-easy-is-it-to-buy-guns-wion-wideangle-582644">Watch |&nbsp;US gun violence crisis: How easy is it to buy guns? | WION Wideangle</a>

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<h2>Rampant gun culture in the US</h2>

The US has long been associated with gun violence as mass shootings, especially in schools and colleges, have become a routine phenomenon, owing to the freedom to buy firearms.&nbsp;

According to a report by the&nbsp;National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM), over 42,000 people died as a result of gun injuries in the US&nbsp;in 2023. The report added that the number of people killed by firearm violence, a leading cause of premature death, grew by nearly 43 per cent&nbsp;between 2010 and 2020.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/data-lab-alarming-stats-in-charts-us-has-more-gun-dealers-than-mcdonalds-starbucks-outlets-put-together-617139" target="_blank">Also read |&nbsp;Data Lab | Alarming stats, in charts: US has more gun dealers than McDonald's, Starbucks outlets put together</a>

"In 2023, 35 per cent of gun deaths were homicides, 56 per cent&nbsp;were suicides, nearly four per cent&nbsp;were unintentional shootings, three per cent were police shootings and less than two per cent were mass shootings," the report noted.&nbsp;

Recent months have seen a flurry of cases where young kids and adults have died by the use of firearms but the issue remains contentious at a higher level with both Democrats and Republicans taking a binary position.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Firearm mania in the US has reached another peak with gun owners in three states now having the 'convenience' to buy bullets from vending machines in grocery shops.

Firearm mania in the US has reached another peak with gun owners in three states now having the 'convenience' to buy bullets from vending machines in grocery shops. Shops in the southern states of Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas allow customers to scan their ID on the ammo dispenser similar to a drink vending machine. After going through the plethora of options, the customer can walk away with rounds for their weapon. American Rounds, the company which devised the ammo dispenser said its device uses Artificial Technology (AI) and that it is as easy to use as an ATM. "Our smart retail automated ammo dispensers have built-in AI technology, card scanning capability and facial recognition software," the company said. "Each piece of software works together to verify the buyer’s age and that the person using the machine matches the identification scanned." The federal law in the US requires a customer to be at least 18 years old to purchase ammunition for long guns such as rifles and shotguns, and at least 21 for handgun bullets. American Rounds claims that its identity verification mechanism in the bullet vending machines is able to ensure that only eligible individuals are making the purchase. The company says it will continue the rollout of the devices in states where hunting is popular, including Louisiana and Colorado. A store in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, however, removed the machine after its legality was questioned at a city council meeting. The legal department of the city confirmed that the machines were legal if they met proper zoning requirements. Watch | US gun violence crisis: How easy is it to buy guns? | WION Wideangle × Rampant gun culture in the US The US has long been associated with gun violence as mass shootings, especially in schools and colleges, have become a routine phenomenon, owing to the freedom to buy firearms. According to a report by the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM), over 42,000 people died as a result of gun injuries in the US in 2023. The report added that the number of people killed by firearm violence, a leading cause of premature death, grew by nearly 43 per cent between 2010 and 2020. Also read | Data Lab | Alarming stats, in charts: US has more gun dealers than McDonald's, Starbucks outlets put together "In 2023, 35 per cent of gun deaths were homicides, 56 per cent were suicides, nearly four per cent were unintentional shootings, three per cent were police shootings and less than two per cent were mass shootings," the report noted. Recent months have seen a flurry of cases where young kids and adults have died by the use of firearms but the issue remains contentious at a higher level with both Democrats and Republicans taking a binary position. (With inputs from agencies)

Firearm mania in US! Vending machines akin to ATMs allow customers to buy bullets

The San Diego campus of the University of California is attempting to reopen with precautions in place to fight COVID-19. Part of these measures include vending machines stocked with do-it-yourself coronavirus tests.

Currently, the campus has 11 dispensers, with none more on the way. School officials claim that these dispensers are one of a kind in the United States.

Based on the model of conventional vending machines, the systems intend to make testing more accessible and cheaper for students.

<img alt="People wearing masks queue up at a vending machine, placed by UC San Diego on campus for students and teachers to self-administer COVID-19 tests, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in San Diego, California, U.S., January 5, 2021." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="995c8deb-303e-46cc-a7ea-0f01f7c18cc1" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/2_29.jpg" />

10,000 students live on the campus of UC San Diego. Even then 10,000 reflects a quarter of the college’s total enrollment. All students are required to get tested at least once a week. Earlier, students had to get tested every two weeks. The kits are completely free and can be taken from the machines at the swipe of a university identification card.&nbsp;

The test enables students to swab their own nostrils, after which the sample is collected by one of two campus laboratories for further analysis.

<img alt="People wearing masks queue up at a vending machine, placed by UC San Diego on campus for students and teachers to self-administer COVID-19 tests, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in San Diego, California, U.S., January 5, 2021." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="07a827e1-dfc8-453b-aa14-44024e198799" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/3_26.jpg" />

Under usual circumstances, results can be accessed within 12-24 hours, as told by University Chancellor Pradeep Khosla to Reuters.

"They're an amazing innovation - simple, effective and impactful," he said while talking about the machines. The vending machines have dispensed thousands of tests everyday since beginning operations.

Besides this, the campus has set up around 7 testing centres across campus. In addition, the university had put up a 600-bed housing unit for students testing positive.

Over the last 10 months, less than 600 students on campus have contracted COVID-19.

Images by Reuters

The San Diego campus of the University of California is attempting to reopen with precautions in place to fight COVID-19. Part of these measures include vending machines stocked with do-it-yourself coronavirus tests.

The San Diego campus of the University of California is attempting to reopen with precautions in place to fight COVID-19. Part of these measures include vending machines stocked with do-it-yourself coronavirus tests. Currently, the campus has 11 dispensers, with none more on the way. School officials claim that these dispensers are one of a kind in the United States. Based on the model of conventional vending machines, the systems intend to make testing more accessible and cheaper for students. 10,000 students live on the campus of UC San Diego. Even then 10,000 reflects a quarter of the college’s total enrollment. All students are required to get tested at least once a week. Earlier, students had to get tested every two weeks. The kits are completely free and can be taken from the machines at the swipe of a university identification card. The test enables students to swab their own nostrils, after which the sample is collected by one of two campus laboratories for further analysis. Under usual circumstances, results can be accessed within 12-24 hours, as told by University Chancellor Pradeep Khosla to Reuters. "They're an amazing innovation - simple, effective and impactful," he said while talking about the machines. The vending machines have dispensed thousands of tests everyday since beginning operations. Besides this, the campus has set up around 7 testing centres across campus. In addition, the university had put up a 600-bed housing unit for students testing positive. Over the last 10 months, less than 600 students on campus have contracted COVID-19. Images by Reuters

University of California is offering coronavirus testing kits... in vending machines!

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