Justices: Gun Right Guaranteed to Individuals

By Ari Shapiro,

Renee Montagne

Published June 26, 2008 at 10:29 AM AST

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Second Amendment of the Constitution guarantees an individual right to bear arms. That's a huge shift in constitutional law. It is the first time the Supreme Court has unequivocally taken this position on the Second Amendment.

The decision came in a challenge to Washington, D.C.'s gun ban. The nation's capital has one of the strictest gun laws in the country.

It's been almost 70 years since the Supreme Court ruled on the Second Amendment. In that decision, the justices suggested that the amendment is limited to a collective right to own weapons. That's the position the Justice Department has generally held, but this Justice Department, under President Bush, has taken a different position.

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Ari Shapiro

Ari Shapiro has been one of the hosts of All Things Considered, NPR's flagship afternoon newsmagazine, since 2015. He has reported from above the Arctic Circle and aboard Air Force One. He has covered wars in Iraq, Ukraine, and Israel, and he has filed stories from dozens of countries and most of the 50 states. His debut memoir, The Best Strangers In the World, was an instant New York Times bestseller. He is also a frequent guest singer with the "little orchestra" Pink Martini, and he regularly tours the country as a cabaret artist with the actor Alan Cumming.

Renee Montagne

Renee Montagne, one of the best-known names in public radio, is a special correspondent and host for NPR News.