WASHINGTON — A 22-year-old from Mississippi was crowned Miss USA 2020 on Monday.
Aysa Branch, who was shocked when she won, is a student at the University of Mississippi and a Booneville native, according to CNN.
Branch was the first Black woman to represent Mississippi in the Miss USA competition.
This is also the first time a Mississippi contestant won the title, according to CBS News.
This year's Miss USA competition took place at Graceland Exhibition Center in Memphis, Tennessee, and aired on Monday live on FYI after the coronavirus pandemic pushed back the event. The event was originally scheduled for the spring of 2020.
In her final question, Branch addressed gun laws in the United States.
"As someone who grew up in a home with guns, I learned at an early age how to load, how to fire, and gun safety. I think that education should be available to everyone," she announced Monday night, according to Fox News. "I believe that we should require people to pass training and safety courses before they're allowed to purchase a gun and before receiving a permit. I think it's important that we not ban guns...but I think it's our Second Amendment right and we just need more safety surrounding that."
The first runner-up was Miss Idaho, Kim Layne, and second runner-up was Miss Oklahoma, Mariah Jane Davis, according to Fox News.
At Miss USA, women representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia compete in multiple categories.
In 2019, Miss Universe, Miss America, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA were all Black women for the first time in history.
