MONSEY, N.Y. (WCBS 880/AP) -- The number of people applying for handgun permits has spiked in a the Hudson Valley community shaken last month by a machete attack that injured five men during a Hanukkah celebration.
The Journal News reports 73 pistol permit applications have been filed with the Rockland County Clerk's Office since the Dec. 28 attack at a rabbi's home in Monsey.
That compares with 51 applications the office received during the eight weeks prior to the stabbing.
An application is the first step in a months-long process that includes fingerprinting, a background check and firearms training.
Most weeks, Rockland County Clerk Paul Piperato says he gets around four or five gun permit applications. So to get 73 in the past week and a half is unusual.
"People are fearful and feel that they want to try to find some way to defend themselves if they were in that kind of situation again," Piperato said.
Of the73 permits, 68 have come from the town of Ramapo, which includes Monsey, where the machete attack took place. The applications take time to process, usually around six months.
"They have to make an appointment with the sheriff's department to get fingerprints done. And then there's a huge background check," Piperato said.
And all applicants start with a sportsman classification.
"You technically could only use them for target shooting or fishing or hunting," Piperato said.
A full carry permit could take another year to get, but Piperato says those are rarely given out in Rockland County.