The number of concealed carry permits issued to Chicago residents was up nearly 50 percent in 2016 compared to 2015.
In 2016, 22,517 permits were issued in 2016, versus 13,948 in 2015.
Even apart from concealed carry, the number of law-abiding citizens seeking permits to own a gun for self-defense in their homes and businesses surged.
DNA Info reports that 38,712 Chicago residents got a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card in 2016, compared to 23,725 in 2015. That means the “state [issued] 63 percent more permits to Chicagoans to own a gun in 2016 than in 2015.”
Illinois State Police report that approximately 212,000 Chicago residents now have a FOID card to own a gun for self-defense.
These jumps in concealed carry and private gun ownership came as criminal use of firearms posed an increased risk to innocents in Chicago. Breitbart News reported that nearly 4,400 people were shot in Chicago in 2016, with almost 800 fatalities.
More than 500 people were shot in Chicago January 1 through February 27 of this year alone. It appears a number of Chicago residents are responding to the death and violence by making sure they can shoot back.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of Bullets with AWR Hawkins, a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.