In a shocking move, the Honolulu Police Department has reportedly blocked all gun sales for much of December in Hawaii’s largest city, according to The Reload.
The Hawaii Firearms Coalition, a local gun-rights group, claims that the police department won’t process gun purchase or carry permit applications without a currently-unattainable training certification. Furthermore, the department requires proof of instruction by a certified/verified instructor before processing any applications submitted after December 18th, but the problem is that the police chief has not certified or verified any instructors, leaving people unable to purchase firearms in the city.
The department has not returned multiple calls seeking comments on the situation, leaving many people wondering what is happening. This sudden change of policy comes as Hawaii is grappling with the fallout of the Supreme Court’s 2022 New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen decision, which effectively struck down the state’s old gun-carry law and cast doubt on its other gun restrictions. In response, Hawaii enacted the Bruen-response law, imposing a plethora of new “gun-free zones” and tightening the application requirements for gun licenses.
This seems like a clear violation of Second Amendment rights, and many citizens are outraged by the move. The police chief’s failure to certify or verify any instructors has left aspiring gun owners with no way to satisfy this new requirement. In effect, the Honolulu Police Department has put an end to gun sales and carry permits for the foreseeable future.
The Hawaii Firearms Coalition called on gun rights supporters to speak out against this blatantly unconstitutional move. The group stated that they would explore all available legal options to challenge the new law and get firearms back into the hands of law-abiding citizens. This is a major blow to the Second Amendment in Hawaii and sets a dangerous precedent for other states to follow.
