Hawaii awoke on Friday to a new national tragedy: a gunman had opened fire at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school, killing 26 people — including 20 children — before taking his own life. The shooting happened on what was for many in Hawaii the last day of school before the holiday break.

The country has erupted once again into conversation about guns and gun laws. Hawaii already has some of the most stringent gun control laws in the nation.

Prospective gun owners have to jump through several legal hoops, including applying for a permit at the police department, passing a screening test and then bringing the gun back to the station for inspection.

Still, gun ownership in Hawaii reached a record high in 2011.

We’ve pulled the latest available information on gun ownership and regulation in Hawaii:

Source: Hawaii Department of the Attorney General, Criminal Justice Data Brief.

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