Minnesota permits to carry firearms at historic high
A report released Monday by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension shows more Minnesotans have valid permits to carry firearms than at any time since the state revamped the gun law in 2003.
The 189,142 Minnesotans with permits to carry guns is 14 percent higher than the active permit total at this time last year.
In 2014, Hennepin County issued 5,279 permits — more than any other county. Anoka County issued the next highest number of permits with 2,951.
The BCA found people with gun permits reportedly committed 1,320 crimes. More than half of those crimes were DWIs or other traffic offenses.
Correction (March 3, 2015): This story incorrectly reported the total number of Minnesotans carrying permits and the percentage increase. The story has been updated.
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