- Amicus Brief
March For Our Lives Files Amicus Brief Supporting Firearm Ban on the DC Metro Transit System, to Prevent Children and Passengers from being Slaughtered
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March For Our Lives Files Amicus Brief Supporting Firearm Ban on the DC Metro Transit System, to Prevent Children and Passengers from being Slaughtered
MFOL, Brady, Giffords, and Hogan Lovells file a joint amicus brief in the case Angelo v. D.C. that proves blatant regulation under Heller and Bruen.
WASHINGTON D.C. — On September 23rd, March For Our Lives filed an amicus brief in Angelo v. D.C. in the D.C. District Court in support of restrictions on carrying guns on the D.C. Metro and city buses. In the wake of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, this is yet another case in the wide-ranging assault on settled constitutional jurisprudence that has been unleashed. The plaintiffs’ baseless claims are in direct juxtaposition with the previously established ruling from Heller and reinforced by Bruen that “sensitive places” are under protection from the government, which the D.C. Metro Transit System qualifies as.
In the wake of the Bruen decision, which made it more challenging for the government to restrict carrying firearms outside the home, plaintiffs are challenging the constitutionality of the ban. The stakes here are clear: if D.C. loses this case, the city would be forced to allow guns to be carried on public buses, trains, and station platforms, all of which are enclosed and, as any survivor knows, difficult to escape if and when a shooting occurs. If the Court files in favor of the plaintiffs, the ban being lifted would undoubtedly lead to more lives lost to gun violence.
The D.C. Metro Transit System serves as the primary form of transportation for hundreds of thousands of tourists and government officials to historic, symbolic, and crucial government sites, as well as the “school bus” for tens of thousands of D.C. kids and teens. Amongst other legal arguments, the amicus brief affirms that children have a unique physical and mental vulnerability that makes the spaces they frequent “sensitive places,” which can be constitutionally regulated under Heller and Bruen.
“With many students relying on Metro buses to get to and from school, it is clear that if the plaintiffs’ theory were adopted, children’s lives would be at risk,” said Ciara Malone, Legal Director at March For Our Lives. “The gun violence epidemic is killing America’s youth in mass; allowing firearms in these highly enclosed and inescapable areas would only increase the amount of these tragedies. With many high-profile individuals riding the Metro, along with access to numerous historical sites, the Metro evidently qualities as a sensitive space.”
“Since Bruen, numerous cases are attempting to abuse jurisprudence that is already set in stone,” said Dr. Lamia El-Sadik, Executive Director of March For Our Lives. “Angelo v. D.C. is yet another example. With firearms being the leading cause of death for children and teens, this is no time to loosen restrictions on guns. Instead, we must continue to fight for gun violence prevention that will save lives.”
“As a gun violence survivor, I know how deadly a firearm is, especially in an enclosed space,” said Sam Fuentes, a youth member of March For Our Lives and Parkland survivor. “The DC Metro poses an even greater risk for tragedy given that the trains and buses are enclosed and crowded. With little cell service, few to no exits, and difficult access for emergency response, it is evident that the ban being lifted would lead to catastrophe.”
“The Supreme Court’s decision in Bruen makes clear that cities and states can continue to enforce reasonable laws that prohibit carrying firearms in sensitive places and protect the safety of its citizens,” said Ira Feinberg, Senior Counsel at Hogan Lovells, “Including those riding on Metro trains and buses. We are proud to be working on this case with our partners at Brady, Team Enough, Giffords Law Center To Prevent Gun Violence, and March For Our Lives, to protect the safety of everyone who lives or works in, or visits our nation’s capital.”
“If DC were to lose this case, it would mark the first time, practically speaking, that the general public would be allowed to carry firearms on the Metro,” said Shira Feldman, Counsel at Brady. “For the vast majority of people in DC and nationwide, that is not a scenario we want to see. This lawsuit, filed by plaintiffs seeking to carry concealed weapons on the Metro, is clear evidence that Bruen will lead to more guns in more places, which in turn will lead to more tragic acts of gun crime, vigilantism, and preventable deaths. We will continue to fight for common-sense gun safety laws that seek to mitigate the negative impacts of the Bruen decision.”
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About March For Our Lives
March For Our Lives is a national youth-led movement to end gun violence in America. Its mission is to harness the power of young people across the country to fight for sensible gun violence prevention policies that save lives. Since March 2018, students from all across the United States have called for common-sense reforms that will save the lives of more than 3,000 young people each year, including implementing universal, comprehensive background checks; creating a searchable database for gun owners; investing in violence intervention programs, specifically in disenfranchised communities; funding the Centers for Disease Control to research gun violence so that reform policies are backed up by data, and banning high-capacity magazines and semi-automatic assault rifles. Concurrently, March For Our Lives has established nearly 300 youth-led chapters across the country, continuously growing this chapter network to give young people a local forum to exercise their activism. For more information, visit marchforourlives.org.