We all have seen “gun- free” zone placards when entering a business that seemingly restricts us from carrying our legal concealed carry or open carry handguns into businesses, including malls, theaters, cafes and other retail outlets.
And then there are those business locations that actually encourage lawful carry of a firearm into their store.
Last month an individual carrying a concealed handgun in Greenwood Park, Indiana took down a bad guy with a rifle who sadly killed three people and wounded two more before he was killed by this courageous concealed carry holder.
Had he not been there how many more would have been killed?
The owners of the mall where this shooting took place have a policy in place making the location a “gun-free” zone.
According to news sources the Simon Property Group has a policy that states no weapons are allowed at their shopping centers. The group is the owner of the Greenwood Park Mall and many other malls around the country.
In June of this year, the Indiana Attorney General released a gun owner’s bill of rights. The document states that private businesses and property owners may restrict people from carrying a weapon on their property.
However, it is generally not against the law to ignore a “no firearms” sign. Good for the Indiana Attorney General.
Sadly, many states do not have this gun owners bill of rights, and you can in fact be charged or arrested for the carrying of a firearm in places that are properly posted. In many of these cases however, you must be told to leave the property with your firearm, and you refuse, before any serious legal prosecution can occur.
So, what is my point? Carry within the confines of the law and realize that there are some areas that you just cannot carry and you should not even try. And there are those locations as described above that have some leeway bases on law or legal precedent.
A few areas that WILL most assuredly be problematic for gun or other weapon carry are:
- Past the TSA security checkpoints at airports
- Most Courthouses
- Military Installations
- Federal Buildings
- Public Schools in most states
- Indian Reservations
The above list is not complete or detailed and of course can vary from state to state. Please do your own research. Handgunlaw.us is a good place to start.
In the end, you and only you are responsible for your own safety and that of the loved ones with you. And you are responsible for when and where you carry. In the vast majority of cases police cannot respond quickly enough to save you.
And unfortunately, as we have seen in the case of Uvalde, Texas the decision of whether to act immediately or wait for an additional 350 officers to respond may well lead to your demise.
Bottom line, no one else in the world is responsible for you and your family’s safety other than you, please understand that and plan accordingly.
