In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court effectively ruled that the Second Amendment guarantees an individuals right to keep and bear arms. Relating specifically to the District of Columbia v. Heller case, Washington, D.C. can no longer enforce a ban against handguns within its city limits.
Following the decision, National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) President Steve Sanetti commented, “Today's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court is a major victory for all Americans. The Heller decision reaffirms the wisdom of our founding fathers in creating the Bill of Rights to protect and preserve individual rights, the cornerstone of our democracy. Furthermore, this decision solidifies an historical fact, the commonsense understanding that governments have powers, not rights — rights are reserved exclusively for individuals.”
Following the decision in D.C., lawsuits are expected to be filed in San Francisco, Chicago and several of its suburbs to try to overturn similar gun bans in those cities.
