Applications for concealed weapons permits jump significantly

DENVER — Applications for concealed weapons permits are up nearly 47 percent from July of 2011 and local law enforcement blame the Aurora theater massacre for the spike.

According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, 1,851 Coloradans tried to get their conceal carry permit in July of 2011, compared to 2,715 people in July of 2012.

That may be because many people feel like Anthony Fuentes, who told us, ”Had there been someone in the theater who was armed, they could have stopped that threat.”

Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson said prior to the Aurora theater shooting they would process an average of 12 to 14 concealed weapons permit applications a day. He said that number more than doubled immediately afterwards. “We saw 27 to 28 applications a day on average.”

Robinson supports the concealed weapons law. He said the people who want to carry a gun legally, are not the ones who are committing crimes. “I can’t think of a single incident in Colorado where a concealed weapons permit holder went out and did anything silly,” he said.

State Representative Rhonda Fields disagrees, “We need to come together and come up with preventative strategies to address gun violence. Addressing gun violence with purchasing more guns I don’t think is the right answer.”

To get your concealed weapons permit, you have to fill out an application, take a fire arms training course and pass a background check.

Denver police said it could take up to 90 days to get the permit after the application is processed.

The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office told us it only takes about 40 days to get the permit that county.