North Carolina county halts pistol permits as demand for guns triple during pandemic

Some Republican lawmakers in North Carolina are crying foul after Wake County halted permits for concealed-carry handguns.

The News & Observerreported that the Wake County Sheriff’s Office suspended its permitting process because applications tripled in recent days. According to the sheriff's office, handgun permits were up from 90 to 290 applications per day.

“This decision does not limit anyone’s right to purchase a handgun,” Sheriff Gerald Baker announced on Tuesday.

But at least two Republican lawmakers demanded that Wake Country resume it's "illegal" pause in pistol permits.

“State law requires sheriffs to approve or reject a pistol permit within 14 days,” Republican state Sens. Warren Daniel and Danny Britt said in a statement. “Sheriff Baker must immediately rescind his illegal decision to halt sale of pistols in Wake County."

Although neither lawmakers are from Wake County, they suggested that the state could force the sheriff to issue pistol permits.

“People are already suspicious and on edge,” the statement said. “It’s reckless to illegally suspend their Second Amendment rights just when they need assurance that they can trust government.”

As the News & Observer noted, counties in at least two other states -- Pennsylvania and Colorado -- have also temporarily suspended some new handgun permits.