By Nick Gale, WLS-AM 890 News
(CHICAGO) In Chicago, applications for FOID cards are on the rise, even though there has been a slowdown of gun demand at the national level.
Illinois State Police say the number of firearm owner identification card applications in Chicago doubled from about 19,600 in 2014 to nearly 39,000 last year. It’s on pace to surpass that this year.
The Chicago Tribune reports that FBI figures show federal background checks nationwide hit high levels at the end of 2016 and dropped 11-percent during the first four months of 2017.
Increase of gun ownership in the city and suburbs comes after Illinois became the last state in the nation to adopt a concealed carry law. Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association says people in Chicago “are worried about protecting themselves,” and have “started seeing the value of a concealed carry license.”
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