'Unprecedented' Surge In Gun Permits Reported In Mecklenburg

MECKLENBURG COUNTY, NC — A record number of Mecklenburg County residents seeking to arm themselves with firearms has led to an "unprecedented increase" in concealed handgun permits and gun purchase permits, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office said Thursday.

The news comes as national gun sales hit a record high across the board. So far in 2020, about 17.2 million background checks have been completed and an estimated 5 million new gun owners bought a firearm for the first time, CBS reported.

Mecklenburg County's surge in permit application began in March, at a time when coronavirus pandemic restrictions were put into place.

Before March 2020, MCSO received an average of 1,506 gun purchase applications a month. During Fiscal Year 2019, those applications averaged about 1,130 per month, MCSO said.

In March 2020, however, the number jumped three fold.

"Since March, the average climbed to 4,698 which included an all-time high of 6,425 in June," MCSO said. On Oct. 26, the sheriff's office was processing 13,005 applications, it said.

New concealed handgun permits jumped 125 percent since June 1, MCSO said. "Staff are currently processing and dissued CHP applications as of July 7, 2020, and appointments are booked already into February 2021," it said.

The development has prompted authorities to pull in personnel from other divisions and pay overtime to process the applications. Since July, MCSO employees have worked at least 1,447 hours of overtime.

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