Concealed carry is surging in Orange County, with permits in the county up “nearly tenfold” over the past two years, the Orange County Register notes.
The reasons behind the surge include the December 2 San Bernardino terror attack, but also the larger threat of terrorism and unrest that pervade the country. And although Orange County does not sit directly on the border, the violence pouring over the border is credited with driving up interest in carrying concealed as well.
The Register points to the example of Steven Pappas, who was assaulted by four men near the Mexican border 16 years ago. Pappas was “nearly beaten to death,” and emerged from the experience desiring a concealed carry license but believing the process for getting one too burdensome. That changed on February 13, 2014, when the Ninth Circuit struck down the “good cause” requirement for California concealed carry, thereby making it easier for law-abiding citizens to acquire a permit to carry a gun for self-defense.
In the two years since the Ninth Circuit’s ruling concealed carry has surged, with 8,500 locals taking advantage of concealed carry, the Register reports. While that is only 0.35% of the county’s adult population — and while it lags far behind the percentage of adults nationwide that carry a gun on a national level — it is significantly higher than the number of permit holders in counties surrounding Orange.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.