In a major expansion of gun rights, the Supreme Court said Thursday that Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense, a ruling likely to lead to more people legally armed in cities and beyond.
The ruling came with recent mass shootings fresh in the nation's mind and gun control being debated in Congress and states.
About a quarter of the U.S. population lives in states expected to be affected by the ruling, which struck down a New York gun law. The high court's first major gun decision in more than a decade came on a 6-3 split with the court's conservatives in the majority and liberals in dissent.
California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island all have laws similar to New York's.
The court's decision struck down a New York law requiring people to demonstrate a particular need for carrying a gun in order to get a license to carry one in public. The justices said that requirement violates the Second Amendment right to "keep and bear arms."
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