I think what's been seen is after videos of the protests and buildings burning etc there is a crush of non-protestors running to get guns.

Locally there may be also a sense that at least in some jurisdictions policing has decreased and/or crime has increased - ie, you are more on your own now - faith in govt is maybe a bit diminished.

And now of course some of the right wing protestors are showing up heavily armed - but I think they always bought guns because they often seem like gun nuts.