D.C. concealed handgun permit applications doubled in November

By Christen Smith

Concealed handgun permit background check applications in Washington, D.C. experienced an unprecedented spike in October and November, according to federal data. (Photo: National Geographic)
Background checks for concealed handgun permits in Washington, D.C. doubled last month, according to federal data.
Some 365 residents submitted applications to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System in November. Approximately three quarters of those checks represented licenses to carry, federal data shows.
It’s the second significant spike in permit applications following city council’s Oct. 5 decision to drop its appeal in the ongoing legal battle of Wrenn v. District of Columbia. Two-thirds of the 217 residents who submitted to NICS checks in October also sought permits — the single biggest month for the city in FBI history, until now.
A U.S. District Court of Appeals panel said in October it would not reconsider the July 2-1 decision in Wrenn blocking enforcement of the city’s requirement that residents demonstrate “a good reason” for needing a concealed handgun permit. The ruling deemed parts of Washington’s permitting system — one of the toughest in the nation — unconstitutional. The Washington Post reported the city denied  77 percent of permit applications based on the “good reason” rule.
Officials said they backed away from the case amid fears a loss at the Supreme Court could further loosen gun

Source: Guns.com