Washington: A federal judge on Saturday ruled that the ban on citizens carrying handguns in public in the US capital is unconstitutional.
In a 19-page opinion, Judge Frederick Scullin ruled that “there is no longer any basis on which this Court can conclude that the District of Columbia’s total ban on the public carrying of ready-to-use handguns outside the home is constitutional under any level of scrutiny.
The lawsuit plaintiffs included two Washington residents who were denied permits to openly carry handguns for self-defense.
Washington DC, the District of Columbia, is wedged between the states of Virginia — which allows people to openly carry a gun — and Maryland, which has stricter rules on gun ownership.
Currently 44 of the 50 US states allow people to openly carry handguns.
