In a decision that could become a model for the nation, a federal judge in Wilmington, De., ruled that gun restrictions imposed by the Wilmington Housing Authority on its residents are constitutional, says the Wilmington News Journal. U.S. District Judge Leonard Stark wrote that the policy of prohibiting residents from openly carrying firearms in “common areas” of public housing buildings is reasonable and does not unduly restrict residents' Second Amendment right to own and possess a gun.
“It is a good day for the residents of public housing,” said authority director Frederick Purnell, adding the policy is designed to protect the safety of tenants, not limit their rights. Francis Pileggi, attorney for plaintiffs in the National Rifle Association-funded lawsuit, said the federal suit was filed to overturn a blanket ban on gun ownership in Wilmington public housing, “and that was changed after we filed a lawsuit.”