Skyrocketing number of concealed carry permits requested in Kansas

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The number of Kansans applying to carry a concealed handgun has skyrocketed. During the first three weeks of 2013, 2,000 Kansas residents submitted concealed carry applications to the Kansas Attorney General's Office.

Gun retailers are also slammed with new customers as the federal government considers new gun laws.

Many Kansas and Missouri stores report guns and ammo are flying off store shelves in wake of President Barack Obama's announcement to tighten the rules on gun ownership and purchasing. In an announcement last week, President Obama proposed establishing universal background checks for firearm sales, a ban on assault weapons and limiting the size of gun magazine clips.

The proposed changes stem from the Dec. 14 tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School that left 20 first graders and 6 teachers dead following a mass shooting inside the school in Newtown, Conn.

On Thursday a Connecticut governor's panel will meet for the first time to review the deadly school shooting. Members will be briefed on the status of the investigation by Danbury State's Attorney Stephen J. Sedensky. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's panel has until March 15 to submit initial recommendations.

Former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Denver's district attorney during the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, will also make a presentation. He was a member of a similar commission to then Governor Bill Owens. Virginia Law Professor Richard Bonnie will discuss how his state reacted to the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting. He was a consultant to then-Virginia Governor Tim Kane's review panel.

According to a national poll by the Washington Post, 52 percent of Americans favor strengthening gun control. The same study found 65 percent of parents with school-aged children say they worry about a mass shooting in their own community.