Homicides in Washington state declined in 2024, according to data posted at two popular sites on “X” (formerly Twitter), at the same time the number of active concealed pistol licenses rose above 700,000, then settled back below that number.
In August, September and October, the number of active licenses topped the 700K mark, but unfortunately that did not translate to conservative “gun votes” in November.
The state Department of Licensing advised Ammoland News that the year finished with 699,140 active CPLs, up 5,952 from the 693,188 active licenses reported back on Jan. 2, 2024. The overwhelming majority of those CPLs belong to Evergreen State residents, while a relative handful are held by non-residents.
In Seattle, the number of homicides dropped from the record high of 74 posted in 2023, back to 61 for 2024, according to Seattle Homicide, which is not affiliated with the Seattle Police Department. There was one fatal police shooting in the city last year, according to the X site, and the number of murders was still above the five-year average of 56.8 slayings per year.
2025 YTD Total: 0
2025 Fatal Police Shootings: 0
2024 Total: 61
2024 Fatal Police Shootings: 1
5 Year Average: 56.8
Record High: 74 in 2023— Seattle Homicide (@HomicideSeattle) January 1, 2025
Statewide, the number of homicides dropped from the 376 posted in 2023 to 309 last year, according to Washington State Homicide, which is not connected to the State Patrol or any other law enforcement agency.
The Washington state site posted murders in the most active cities at 60 for Seattle (a discrepancy from the Seattle Homicide number), 21 in Tacoma, 16 for Spokane, 15 in Yakima, another 11 in Kent, 8 in Auburn and 6 each in Vancouver, Renton, Federal Way and Everett. There is no small irony in these numbers, as the most liberal city with the most Democrat voters, and also the headquarters city for the state’s billionaire-backed gun prohibition lobbying organization had the most murders of any municipality. Flash east to Spokane near the Idaho border, right in the middle of “gun country,” and the number of slayings is about one-fourth the body count.
While the data shows a statewide decline in murders even while more citizens have been arming up, lawmakers in Olympia have been busily pre-filing legislation designed to ratchet down on the rights of law-abiding gun owners. Most of this was detailed in earlier Ammoland reports, here and here.
One of the more egregious bills pre-filed so far is House Bill 1152, dropped Jan. 2 by anti-gun Democrat State Reps. Beth Doglio (22nd District/Olympia) and Amy Walen (48th District/North Bellevue, Redmond).
Buried in the text of this proposed law is the following paragraph:
“The Washington office of firearm safety and violence prevention is created within the department for the purposes of coordinating and promoting effective state and local efforts to reduce firearm violence.”
One might conclude this office is nothing more than a government-funded gun control effort, much the same as Joe Biden’s White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Second Amendment activists are hopeful Donald Trump dismantles this office on Day One of his second term.
HB 1152 mandates so-called “safe storage,” which it defines as, “Locked or disabled using a tamper-resistant mechanical lock or other safety device properly engaged in order to render the firearm inoperable by any person other than the owner or other lawfully authorized user, and also kept out of plain sight; or (ii) stored within a locked gun safe or similar locked container secure from access by unauthorized users.”
Hilariously, the section ends with this note: “Nothing in this section mandates how or where a firearm must be stored.”
Another onerous piece of legislation is Senate Bill 5099, the subject of a blistering 15-minute critique posted on YouTube by attorney Bill Kirk, president of Washington Gun Law. This 26-page document is described as a measure to put Washington firearms retailers out of business. One look at this bill is enough to make a reader suspect it actually is written to discourage people from operating a retail gun shop or sporting goods store.
The Washington 2025 Legislative Action Group’s site on Facebook is already busy, and with more than 13,000 members, the next 100-plus days will get even more lively. This site has become more than just a place for activists to learn and complain. It is something of a meeting place for alerts on upcoming public hearings, who to contact, and even plan action.
Washington operates a toll-free Legislative Hotline, accessible from any part of the state. The number is 800-562-6000 and it is manned during the entire legislative session.
About Dave Workman
Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms, and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.
