By: KETV NewsWatch 7
OMAHA, Neb. — Gun permit applications in the area have spiked following the deadly movie theater rampage in Aurora, Colo.
Shooting suspect James Holmes, 24, is accused of opening fire on a theater full of people during the midnight premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises,” killing 12 people and injuring 58 others.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office usually gets 15 to 20 gun permit applications a day. On Monday, 40 people applied to own a gun, the office reported.
“I’m kind of the person that if I were in that theater, I would want to do something,” said Rob Thomas, who is interested in carrying a concealed weapon. “I’d want to be able to help people.”
Shooting range 88 Tactical is a training facility that offers the required course for carrying concealed weapons.
“I’d say that the least important thing they need to know is how to use a pistol, and that surprises a lot of people,” said 88 Tactical instructor Trevor Thrasher.
Thrasher said they not only teach how to use a gun, but also when it’s legal to do so. He said 88 Tactical got nearly 40 emails on Friday after the movie theater shooting from people interested in carrying a concealed weapon.
“People recognize that they’re vulnerable to this type of attack and they want to seek the means to do something about it,” Thrasher said.
Not everyone looks at the movie theater massacre and thinks about buying a gun. Some have just the opposite reaction.
“I think we need better gun control in this country, because I don’t think a person should have been able to buy that much ammunition without people realizing that he had that much,” Shelly Anderson said.
Currently in Nebraska, more than 16,000 people are certified to carry a concealed weapon. The course required to do so is 10 hours long and includes both classroom work and time on the shooting range. Anyone wishing to take the course must first undergo a background check and get certified through the Sheriff’s Office.
