Homicides in Washington state declined in 2024, in keeping with knowledge posted at two common websites on “X” (previously Twitter), on the identical time the variety of lively hid pistol licenses rose above 700,000, then settled again under that quantity.
In August, September and October, the variety of lively licenses topped the 700K mark, however sadly that didn’t translate to conservative “gun votes” in November.
The state Division of Licensing suggested Ammoland Information that the yr completed with 699,140 lively CPLs, up 5,952 from the 693,188 lively licenses reported again on Jan. 2, 2024. The overwhelming majority of these CPLs belong to Evergreen State residents, whereas a relative handful are held by non-residents.
In Seattle, the variety of homicides dropped from the report excessive of 74 posted in 2023, again to 61 for 2024, in keeping with Seattle Murder, which isn’t affiliated with the Seattle Police Division. There was one deadly police taking pictures within the metropolis final yr, in keeping with the X web site, and the variety of murders was nonetheless above the five-year common of 56.8 slayings per yr.
2025 YTD Complete: 02025 Deadly Police Shootings: 02024 Complete: 612024 Deadly Police Shootings: 15 12 months Common: 56.8Record Excessive: 74 in 2023
— Seattle Murder (@HomicideSeattle) January 1, 2025
Statewide, the variety of homicides dropped from the 376 posted in 2023 to 309 final yr, in keeping with Washington State Murder, which isn’t linked to the State Patrol or another regulation enforcement company.
The Washington state web site posted murders in essentially the most lively cities at 60 for Seattle (a discrepancy from the Seattle Murder quantity), 21 in Tacoma, 16 for Spokane, 15 in Yakima, one other 11 in Kent, 8 in Auburn and 6 every in Vancouver, Renton, Federal Approach and Everett. There isn’t any small irony in these numbers, as essentially the most liberal metropolis with essentially the most Democrat voters, and in addition the headquarters metropolis for the state’s billionaire-backed gun prohibition lobbying group had essentially the most murders of any municipality. Flash east to Spokane close to the Idaho border, proper in the midst of “gun nation,” and the variety of slayings is about one-fourth the physique rely.
Whereas the info reveals a statewide decline in murders even whereas extra residents have been arming up, lawmakers in Olympia have been busily pre-filing laws designed to ratchet down on the rights of law-abiding gun homeowners. Most of this was detailed in earlier Ammoland experiences, right here and right here.
One of many extra egregious payments pre-filed to this point is Home Invoice 1152, dropped Jan. 2 by anti-gun Democrat State Reps. Beth Doglio (twenty second District/Olympia) and Amy Walen (forty eighth District/North Bellevue, Redmond).
Buried within the textual content of this proposed regulation is the next paragraph:
“The Washington workplace of firearm security and violence prevention is created throughout the division for the needs of coordinating and selling efficient state and native efforts to scale back firearm violence.”
One would possibly conclude this workplace is nothing greater than a government-funded gun management effort, a lot the identical as Joe Biden’s White Home Workplace of Gun Violence Prevention. Second Modification activists are hopeful Donald Trump dismantles this workplace on Day One in all his second time period.
HB 1152 mandates so-called “secure storage,” which it defines as, “Locked or disabled utilizing a tamper-resistant mechanical lock or different security gadget correctly engaged in an effort to render the firearm inoperable by any particular person apart from the proprietor or different lawfully approved person, and in addition stored out of plain sight; or (ii) saved inside a locked gun secure or related locked container safe from entry by unauthorized customers.”
Hilariously, the part ends with this observe: “Nothing on this part mandates how or the place a firearm should be saved.”
One other onerous piece of laws is Senate Invoice 5099, the topic of a blistering 15-minute critique posted on YouTube by legal professional Invoice Kirk, president of Washington Gun Regulation. This 26-page doc is described as a measure to place Washington firearms retailers out of enterprise. One have a look at this invoice is sufficient to make a reader suspect it truly is written to discourage folks from working a retail gun store or sporting items retailer.
The Washington 2025 Legislative Motion Group’s web site on Fb is already busy, and with greater than 13,000 members, the following 100-plus days will get much more full of life. This web site has change into greater than only a place for activists to study and complain. It’s one thing of a gathering place for alerts on upcoming public hearings, who to contact, and even plan motion.
Washington operates a toll-free Legislative Hotline, accessible from any a part of the state. The quantity is 800-562-6000 and it’s manned throughout the whole legislative session.
About Dave Workman
Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, writer of a number of books on the Proper to Preserve & Bear Arms, and previously an NRA-certified firearms teacher.
