Utah gun permits easy to obtain for inexperienced shooters


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SALT LAKE CITY — If you went to a concealed weapons permit class, in about four hours you'd have all the training you need to be issued a permit. Actually shooting a gun or even holding it is not a requirement.

Kaiden Adams is a hunter's education student. "I passed the written test. Now I just need to pass the shooting test," Adams said.

Adams and ten thousand other people in Utah will go through the hunter's education course this year with a key lesson in mind: gun safety.

"If you don't know the safety, it can end in real tragedy," said Pat O'Kelley, another hunter's education student.

It's learned even before these students leave the classroom. They are then put to the test at a shooting range.


That's something that really needs to be looked at. How do you feel knowing someone like yourself who really you don't have any gun experience and neither do I and both of us can go get our permits right now and obtain a gun?

–Diane Gooch, concealed weapons permit class student


In a three to six week course, they learn hunter responsibility and firearm safety. This course is much longer compared to a concealed weapons permit course, which is only four hours long and students never shoot or even hold a gun.

"I've had people who never even handled a gun," said Matt Oehler, a concealed weapons permit instructor.

In one class outline, a frequently asked question is "Do participants have to shoot a gun?" The answer? "No. This greatly increases the safety and relaxed atmosphere in the classes."

Jeremy Nielson is a concealed weapons permit student who has had little experience handling a gun. Diane Gooch is also taking the class and has had zero hands-on training.

"This course is really meant to be a foundation for either experienced shooters or people who have really limited understanding of the law," Oehler said.


You're able to have a firearm, so we put that burden of proof on you. Now you go out and you train with a firearm and practice so you're able to carry.

–Danny Willoughby, concealed weapons permit instructor


Training includes the familiarity of "the safe loading, unloading, storage, and carrying of the types of firearms to be concealed... and current laws defining self-defense." Actually touching the firearm is only encouraged.

"That's something that really needs to be looked at," Gooch said. "How do you feel knowing someone like yourself who really you don't have any gun experience and neither do I and both of us can go get our permits right now and obtain a gun?"

Gooch says she also thinks students should have some minimum hours of training just like driving a car.

"Utah law comes from the point of view of you're an adult," said Danny Willoughby, a concealed weapons permit instructor. "You're able to have a firearm, so we put that burden of proof on you. Now you go out and you train with a firearm and practice so you're able to carry."

Guns and school safety survey results released:

SALT LAKE CITY — Results of a nationwide "Guns and School Safety" survey of more than 10,600 K-12 educators have been released, giving a look at educator sentiment about how safe schools are in light of the recent Sandy Hook shooting, and what should be done to ensure student and educator safety.

The survey revealed several insights:

  • 91.6% of educators say they feel safe in school and 94.5% believe their students feel safe, but only 68.9% say their school is safe from gun violence
  • 68.2% of schools have increased security since the Sandy Hook shooting, including 33.1% that are locking more doors and 10% that have increased police presence on campus.
  • 72.4% of educators say they would not bring a firearm to school if allowed, though 87.8% say an armed police officer on campus would improve safety

A complete report of survey results and graphics can be found here.

And that burden of proof is being put on a growing number of people.

"My classes are booked through May and then June," Willoughby said.

The Utah permit has become one of the most widely recognized concealed weapons permits, accepted in 34 states. Since 2008, almost 390,000 permits have been issued with a big chunk coming from Oregon, Illinois and California. In Utah, about 6,400 people have gotten one just this year, and is on track to double the number of permits from 2012.

"I'm comfortable with citizens having firearms without a lot of training," said attorney Mitch Vilos.

Vilos represents gun owners and dealers and says Utah has the "golden" permit. He believes Utahns are safer because of it.

"The more requirements you place on the ability to have a firearm, the more you have an increase in violent crimes," Vilos said. "I don't know why, it just seems to be a fact."

John Lott, the author of "More Guns, Less Crime", researched more than 3,000 counties in the U.S. from 1977 to 1994 and found as the number of people who obtained permits went up, crime violence went down. For each year, there was a decrease of about 3 percent in murders and 2 percent in both rapes and robberies. Why? Criminals don't know who has a gun and victims can defend themselves.

A counter-argument titled "Shooting Down the More Guns, Less Crime Hypothesis" says, "we find that the statistical evidence that these laws have reduced crime is limited, sporadic and extraordinarily fragile."

But whichever side you're on, most of us can still agree that safety is the most important objective, whether we are outside hunting or protecting our loved ones in our own home. The question "are Utahns properly prepared to handle a weapon that can kill?" may only be answered by the person holding the gun.

In the past four years, almost 4,400 gun permits have been revoked in Utah. The main causes were alcohol violation, protective order, and moral turpitude which includes sex crimes, forgery, and robbery.

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Devon Dolan

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