The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says agents processed more than 1.6 million firearm background checks in Kentucky so far this year.

Doug Ramsey with Bud's Gun Shop of Lexington said their business went up this year.

"We have seen an increase," Ramsey said. "Usually a background check will equate to a sale."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives does not keep track of firearm sales, but sellers say background checks closely reflect gun purchases.

This aligns with the FBI data showing an increase in firearm background checks nationwide.

Below are the top five states with the highest numbers of background checks in the past four months:

"It's not uncommon for sales increases to occur because of things that occur either in crime statistics, political things that are going on," Ramsey said.

"Fear begets violence because the young kids that are scared, they are going and picking up guns because no one wants to be a victim," said Logan Avritt, gang prevention activist.

Avritt worries fear could cause more problems if more Kentuckians have guns and do not lock them up properly.

"It's the adults that are going to buy the guns," Avritt said. "It's the kids that are going to burglarize the house to get the gun."

Research shows the number of stolen or lost firearms in Kentucky rose from 184 in 2015 to 1,081 last year.

Avritt reminds responsible gun owners to keep their weapons locked up properly.