Expert: Despite new concealed carry law, training still critical

It is now legal to carry a concealed gun without a permit in the state of Louisiana.

The state's "constitutional carry" law took effect at midnight on Thursday. That law, authored by Sen. Blake Miguez (R-New Iberia) and approved by the state legislature during this spring's regular legislative session, allows anyone aged 18 or older to carry a concealed firearm without first obtaining training and a state-issued concealed carry license.

Despite the change in the law, New Orleans concealed carry instructor Dave Newman says it's imperative that anyone who intends to take advantage of the new law understands not only how to properly use a firearm but also when to use it. Newman told WWL's Tommy Tucker this knowledge could keep someone out of legal trouble.

"I've had several people approach me an ask, 'Why are you still offering classes when permits are going away?' That's not true!" Newman said. "I personally find that a lot of people really didn't understand the use of force. People think that guns are for solving arguments, or if somebody gives them a nasty look or they think they're about to do something, they think they can brandish their guns and not be in violation of the law. They they wonder why the cops are putting handcuffs on them."

He says getting trained and getting a concealed carry license could also be the difference between life and death for a gun owner.

"One of the things about a homicide is: if you have someone attack you and you shoot them and they die," Newman said. "There's no question about there was a homicide. There's no question about who committed the homicide, but now it's a question of was it was justifiable. If you don't understand the justifiable use of force, you could be in jail the rest of your life."

Newman told WWL's Tommy Tucker that even though the law gives people permission to carry a concealed gun without first obtaining a license, there are some pitfalls concealed carriers will have to avoid.

"The part that a lot of people are not discussing is . . . that there is still going to be areas that, even though we have constitutional carry, you can't carry in those areas because they are gun-free zones," Newman said. "Any school--1,000 feet around the school--is still going to be a gun-free zone. If you look at the maps of Orleans Parish gun-free school zones . . . you'd see that in Orleans Parish, they cover almost the whole map. People are going to have to educate themselves about the restrictions."

Newman says the law also provides a benefit to those who have a concealed carry permit.

"Senate Bill 2 gives people who are permit holders a similar qualified immunity that a law enforcement officer would have from being sued by an attacker or there family in a civil suit as long as there is no criminal charge," Newman said. "Also, a lot of people thought that because a lot of other states in our area . . . are constitutional carry, they wouldn't need their permit to carry in those other states because they're already constitutional carry. That's not true, either. The laws in those states are for their citizens. Literally, it will say in their laws, most of the time, 'for citizens of the state of Texas,' or 'for citizens of the state of Florida,' or whatever the state is--or residents of those states."