OGDEN, Utah | The Utah Department of Public Safety says background checks for firearm purchases have increased since a gunman killed 12 people and wounded dozens at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., last Friday.

But department spokesman Dwayne Baird tells the Deseret News (https://goo.gl/NXnnT ) he won’t speculate as to why there’s been an increase.

Baird says the state saw an increase of about 10 percent in background checks Friday and Saturday and an increase of 30 to 40 percent on Monday.

The department says Utah has already had several record months this year in the number of background checks and July is can also set a record.

Gun sales have increased in Colorado and other states since the theater shootings.

___

Information from: Deseret News, https://www.deseretnews.com