More pistol-packing residents in Washington

OLYMPIA— Washington state residents are seeking conceal-carry permits for firearms at an historic rate.

According to state figures, more than 21,000 residents applied for new conceal-carry permits in September.

The previous single-month record was 13,932 permits in May 2013, officials said.

“This is a staggering increase in the number of carry licenses,” Citizen Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Chairman Alan Gottlieb said from Bellevue earlier this week. “And we wholeheartedly support every citizen who has made the important decision to take responsibility for his or her personal...