Judge allows concealed carry on Illinois’ public transportation

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A federal judge has ruled that Illinois’ ban, forbidding concealed carry owners to carry guns on public transportation, is unconstitutional.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Iain Johnston ruled in favor of four plaintiffs who brought a 2022 lawsuit, arguing that a portion of the state’s concealed carry law, prohibiting holders of concealed carry licenses to bring guns on public buses or trains violated their Second Amendment rights.

Illinois’ 2013 concealed carry law limited license holders from carrying weapons into certain places, such as government buildings, stadiums, hospitals, or public transportation.

In his ruling, Johnston said the defendants, including Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, and DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin, “failed to meet their burden to show an American tradition of firearm regulation at the time of the Founding that would allow Illinois to prohibit Plaintiffs — who hold concealed carry permits — from carrying concealed handguns for self-defense onto the CTA and Metra.”

Johnston cited a 2022 Supreme Court decision, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which struck down a 100-year-old law requiring citizens to show “proper cause” for needing a gun before they could be issued a concealed carry permit.

Asked about the ruling while at an unrelated event on Tuesday, Gov. JB Pritzker responded , saying, “Unfortunately many of the conservative judges who have been appointed have misunderstood what it means to uphold public safety. It will be disappointing if they uphold this but I’m hopeful that the law that was passed in Illinois a number of years ago that’s done a lot to keep people safe will be upheld.”

According to the Chicago Tribune, Raoul’s office said it would review the decision and would likely file an appeal.

The ruling comes as four people were murdered while they slept on a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train early Monday morning.

According to police, a 30-year-old man, identified as Rhianni Davis, of Chicago, killed the four on a train was nearing Forest Park. Investigators haven’t determined a motive.

Margaret Miller, 64, and three men including Simeon Bihesi, 28, and Adrian Collins, 60, were fatally shot, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

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