Gun sales shot up in 2020, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
They are responsible for running background checks whenever a person buys a gun in the state. They said they ran 71,227 checks in November this year, a 41% increase from 2019. October also saw a large increase in the number of guns sold in Tennessee.
They said they ran 57,770 background checks in October 2020, which was a 51% jump from the year before. They said that almost every month of the year follows a similar trend. Officials said that the biggest spikes were in June and July this year.
Gun buyers must undergo a background check when buying a firearm from a licensed dealer in Tennessee. The check is run through the Tennessee Instant Check System, which TBI runs.