The tragic theater shooting that killed 12 people in Colorado last month has put a spotlight on the nation’s insatiable appetite for guns, which has been documented in New Hampshire and across the country since 2008.

State authorities are projecting a 100-percent increase in gun sales in New Hampshire this year over 2008, according to Sgt. Sean Haggerty of the N.H. State Police Explosives Permit and Licensing Unit. In 2008, the Permits and Licensing Unit handled about 20,000 gun sales. This year, they are on pace for more than 40,000.

Although gun sales continue to rise, the FBI’s Preliminary Crime Report shows that violent crime in the United States has decreased by 4 percent since 2010.

A number of high-profile gun crimes in recent months, including the recent mass theater shooting in Colorado and the February shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Florida, have led to some calls for tighter gun control laws.

In order to purchase a gun in New Hampshire, the buyer must fill out a National Instant Criminal Background Check form, which the dealer or gun shop must call in to the State Police Department. Police then check the buyer’s criminal history and either approve or deny the purchase. New Hampshire State Police also issues concealed handgun permits to residents and non-residents.

According to a report from the FBI, New Hampshire has performed 57,474 criminal background checks in the past six months, up from 42,500 in the first six months of 2011. That’s an increase of 35 percent. In 2010, New Hampshire’s Permits and Licensing Unit issued more than 6,800 handgun permits.

The Brady Campaign, a national organization aimed at reducing gun violence, are circulating a petition calling on President Barack Obama and presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney to offer specific solutions to prevent tragedies like the shooting in Colorado.