Interest in guns, too, is on the rise.
The number of people stopped from buying guns through the U.S. background check system hit an all-time high of more than 300,000 last year amid a surge of firearm sales. And several states have passed laws barring federal gun control laws from taking effect.
Louisville Metro Police Chief Erika Shields said lax gun laws and the presence of illegal guns on the streets are compounding the violence.
“When everyone can have a gun, they tend to,” she said. “And it just leads to more illegal guns on the street.”