US Supreme Court expands gun rights, striking down New York restrictions

In a major expansion of gun rights, the US Supreme Court says that Americans have a right to carry firearms in public.

The justices’ 6-3 decision follows a series of recent mass shootings and is expected to ultimately allow more people to legally carry guns on the streets of the nation’s largest cities — including New York, Los Angeles and Boston — and elsewhere.

About a quarter of the US population lives in states expected to be affected by the ruling, the high court’s first major gun decision in more than a decade.

In their decision, the justices strike 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 say that requirement violates the Second Amendment right to “keep and bear arms.”

California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island all have similar laws.