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 McFadden’s office to comply with state law and immediately issue both permits to qualified applicants.
“They’re around seven months behind on concealed handgun permits,” attorney Ronald Shook, who is representing the gun rights groups,
McFadden’s office said in a statement that it couldn’t comment on a lawsuit it hasn’t yet received. But the office added that it has been “transparent and forthcoming about our inability to meet certain statutory timelines” 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.
