TRIGGER HAPPY

Judge Strikes Down D.C. Handgun Ban

Pack the heat in public.

A federal judge struck down Washington, D.C.’s 2008 ban on carrying handguns outside of the home. In a decision that was made public Saturday night, U.S. District Court Judge Frederick J. Scullin wrote “There is no longer any basis 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.” According to court documents, the 2008 law mandated that handgun owners specify where they planned to use their guns and denied permits to anyone planning to carry handguns outside of their homes. That same year, the Supreme Court struck down the capital’s complete ban on gun ownership, saying it violated the Second Amendment.