The Texas population has exceeded 1 million licensed gun carriers for the first time in the state’s history, according to a new report from the state Department of Public Safety.
Lone Star State officials said it received more than 136,000 concealed carry license applications from December 2015 to February 2016. The department accepted 57,000 applications during the same period a year earlier.
One Texas gun shop owner said residents have flocked to obtain gun permits in the wake of the San Bernardino terrorist attacks. Central Texas Gun Works owner Michael Cargill also cited new pro-gun laws and President Obama’s attempts to tighten gun laws.
About 13 million people, or 5 percent of the U.S. adult population, have gun permits, according to a July 2015 report by the Social Science Research Network.
