Supreme Court Declines Hearing Challenge to Maryland’s Gun License Law

Gun Rights

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case challenging Maryland’s strict handgun licensing law.

Why It Matters

Gun violence has become a major concern across the nation with mass shootings in schools, nightclubs and homes more prevalent. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there were 16,680 fatal shootings in 2024. In addition, 394 people have been killed by firearms in January.

The number of gun violence-related deaths throughout recent years has also prompted calls for Congress to strengthen national gun laws, as gun control remains a tensely divided matter in the United States.

Proponents of gun control say limiting the ability of individuals to buy some weapons, such as assault rifles, would mitigate the number of shootings. Others, however, say stronger gun laws would impede the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment.

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What To Know

On Monday, the high court declined to hear the case to challenge Maryland’s gun license law that mandates several measures including safety training and background checks.

Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, December 17, 2024. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case challenging Maryland’s stringent handgun licensing law.
The Supreme Court is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, December 17, 2024. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case challenging Maryland’s stringent handgun licensing law.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP

The law, enacted in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in 2012, mandates safety training, fingerprint submission and background checks for prospective handgun owners. The Sandy Hook mass shooting, which left 26 people dead and two people injured, is the deadliest mass shooting at a U.S. elementary school.

The Supreme Court’s decision, which was delivered without explanation, came as critics argued Maryland’s requirements for handgun buyers impose unconstitutional barriers.

However, Maryland officials have consistently defended the measures as necessary for public safety.

The decision also comes as the law’s journey through the courts has been fraught with tension. Initially struck down by a three-judge panel following the Supreme Court’s landmark 2022 decision broadening gun rights, the statute was later upheld by the full 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The appellate court ruled that the law aligns with the historical precedents governing firearm regulations.

Similar Challenges To Gun Laws

In November, gun rights advocacy groups in Maine took legal action to challenge and overturn a newly implemented 72-hour waiting period for firearm purchases, claiming it infringed on constitutional rights.

Maine’s Democratic-led government introduced the waiting period among other gun safety measures following the state’s deadliest mass shooting on October 25, 2023, by Army reservist Robert Card, who carried an assault-style weapon and opened fire at the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley and the Schemengees Bar and Grille restaurant in Lewiston, killing 18 people and injuring 13 others.

In the lawsuit, filed on behalf of five plaintiffs, attorneys contended that it’s illegal to require someone who passed a background check to wait three days before completing a gun purchase and lacks historical precedent, citing a recent 2022 Supreme Court decision that changed the standard for gun restrictions.

In contrast, gun safety advocates argue that the law addresses Maine’s high rate of firearm-related suicides, especially among men, and will save lives.

What People Are Saying

U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy said in June: “Firearm violence is an urgent public health crisis that has led to loss of life, unimaginable pain, and profound grief for far too many Americans… To protect the health and well-being of Americans, especially our children, we must now act with the clarity, courage and urgency that this moment demands.”

The National Rifle Association (NRA) shared a statement on X (formerly Twitter) in June taking aim at the Biden administration for not prosecuting criminals, adding that it is a “primary cause” for the country’s crime problem.

“This is an extension of the Biden administration’s war on law-abiding gun owners. America has a crime problem caused by criminals. The reluctance to prosecute and punish criminals on the part of President Biden and many of his allies is the primary cause of that. That’s a simple fact,” NRA Executive Director Randy Kozuch said in the statement on X.

Pediatric surgeon and vice president of strategic initiatives and director of gun violence at Northwell Health Dr. Chethan Sathya noted in a post on X in June how gun violence impacts communities.

“As a pediatric surgeon and advocate for safer communities, I am deeply moved and resolute in supporting this call to action. Gun violence affects us all…Every day, hospitals and emergency rooms witness the devastating impacts of gun-related injuries and fatalities. These tragedies ripple through families, communities, and the very fabric of our society. The Surgeon General’s advisory highlights the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to address this epidemic,” Sathya wrote on X.

What Happens Next

Monday’s decision marks another critical moment in the national conversation over gun rights and safety, an issue that continues to dominate political and legal discourse across the country.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.

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