ST. LOUIS – The Missouri chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today applauded a St. Louis Circuit Judge’s ruling confirming that firearms may not legally be brought onto the premises of the St. Louis Zoo.
The St. Louis Zoo has preschool and children’s education programs on its premise. Almost half a million students participate in the zoo’s educational program every year, according to news reports.
Missouri no longer requires a permit or safety training to carry hidden, loaded handguns in public. Law enforcement officials had urged legislators to keep the state’s permit requirement in place, but lawmakers removed the requirement last year amid intense pressure from the gun lobby.
According to data from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, in the first four months after Missouri removed its permit requirement, aggravated assaults with a firearm in St. Louis increased nearly 30 percent. No other violent crime increased — in fact, assaults not involving a firearm decreased over the same period.
Today’s court ruling follows a number of recent court wins for gun safety; a list of those cases is available here.
STATEMENT FROM BECKY MORGAN, VOLUNTEER CHAPTER LEADER WITH THE MISSOURI CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA:
“Parents should not have to worry about who is or is not carrying a gun when their children are in a learning and playing environment, particularly now that people can carry hidden, loaded handguns in Missouri with no permit or safety training. We applaud Judge Moriarty’s ruling and hope our courts continue to rule in favor of common sense.”
