CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Gun rights organizations and three residents are suing the Mecklenburg County sheriff alleging that his office failed to issue pistol purchase and concealed handgun permits in a timely manner.
Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners Foundation, Grass Roots North Carolina, Rights Watch International and three Mecklenburg County residents filed the lawsuit against Sheriff Garry McFadden and his office on Thursday, a news outlet reported.
The lawsuit claims that the failure to issue the permits in a timely manner violates the North Carolina Constitution. State law requires sheriffs to issue pistol permits within 14 days of the date of the application, and concealed handgun permits within 45 days. The lawsuit asks a judge to order McFaddenβs office to comply with state law and immediately issue both permits to qualified applicants.
βTheyβre around seven months behind on concealed handgun permits,β attorney Ronald Shook, who is representing the gun rights groups,
McFaddenβs office said in a statement that it couldnβt comment on a lawsuit it hasnβt yet received. But the office added that it has been βtransparent and forthcoming about our inability to meet certain statutory timelinesβ in processing a surge of applications during the pandemic while also coping with staffing shortages.
The office is currently processing a backlog of 5,902 purchase permit applications and is working on applications from March, according to its website. The office is processing 5,901 concealed handgun applications and is now reviewing applications from January.
