Minnesota gun purchases spike following summer riots

By Joseph Simonson

Published March 3, 2021 8:21pm ET

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Minnesota gun purchases spike following summer riots — A protester carries a U.S. flag upside down, a sign of distress, next to a burning building, Thursday, May 28, 2020, in Minneapolis during protests over the death of George Floyd.

Minnesota saw a 90% increase in newly issued firearm permits last year, highlighting concerns from residents about law and order during a period of historic social unrest.

According to data released by the state, 96,554 new handgun permits were issued in 2020, an increase of nearly 45,000 compared to the year before. Eighty thousand of those permits were for new gun owners altogether. Almost half of those permits were for residents in metro areas.

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