KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — In the handful of weeks after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said it is seeing an increase in the number of gun sales across.
Local gun stores said they are also seeing a similar spike in East Tennessee.
Crossroads Firearms in Knoxville said this time of year is always busy for gun sales because people have some extra cash.
“It has lined up to happen with tax season. So that's usually a busy season for us anyway,” said store owner Steven Bowman.
Bowman said lately they've seen even more customers, and they said it could have something to do with the crisis in Ukraine.
Research consultants Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting gathered data from the FBI, and it shows nationally gun sales for February 2022 are slightly higher than average.
It said it noticed the uptick around the same time Russia invaded Ukraine.
Bowman said the invasion has been top of mind for some of his customers.
“It's mostly been a variety, people more concerned about carrying firearms on them for safety. And then thinking about the future, what if something like this happened to the U.S.,” he said.
Statewide, gun sales have gone up over the last year. Data from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shows gun sales increased by 7% from February 2021 to February 2022.
Gun sales experts said 2022 could be on track for another strong year of firearms sales.