In Cleveland, United States, a&nbsp;drunk man allegedly killed five people, including an eight-year-old child in a shooting incident at a southeast Texas home. As per the authorities, the suspect, who used an AR-15-style assault rifle to commit the crime, is still at large.

The incident, as per ABC News, occurred shortly after 11:31 pm local time, Friday (GMT 4:31 am, Saturday). Authorities from the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office report that they received a call about a harassment incident in Cleveland, Texas — around 55 miles (89 Kilometres) north of Houston.

When the police reached the scene, they found several victims shot “almost execution style”.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-shooting-incident-kills-one-at-oklahomas-rose-college-of-13000-student-strength-585814">US: Shooting incident kills one at Oklahoma's Rose College of 13,000 student-strength</a>

Speaking to ABC News’ Houston station KTRK, Sheriff Greg Capers of the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office revealed that all the victims were shot “from the neck up almost execution style, basically in the head.”

Police believe the motive was a disagreement between the victims and the suspect, who had a habit of shooting his AR-15-style rifle in his front yard.

Capers told KTRK that the victims had asked the shooter to keep quiet as they had a sleeping baby.

“My understanding is that the victims, they came over to the fence and said ‘Hey could [you not do your] shooting out in the yard? We have a young baby that’s trying to go to sleep,’ and he had been drinking and he says ‘I’ll do what I want to in my front yard’,” said Capers.

At the time of the shooting, there were at least 10 people in the home. The youngest victim of the tragic shooting is an eight-year-old child.

Also among the victims are two females who, as per the ABC News report — in an apparent attempt to save them — were found lying on top of the two surviving children.

The suspect, as per authorities, is a Mexican male, armed with an AR-15-style rifle. He is believed to be in an intoxicated state. Police are looking for a Hispanic male with short black hair, approximately 5’8" tall. The suspect was reportedly last seen wearing blue jeans with a black shirt and work boots.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/in-america-a-long-held-belief-in-american-exceptionalism-is-fading-586836">In America, a long-held belief in American exceptionalism is fading</a>

All of his victims are between the ages of eight and 40 years. Four victims were declared dead at the scene while another four died after being taken to the hospital.

Police haven’t revealed the identities of the victims or their relationship to the suspect, but said they are from Honduras.&nbsp;

“We are getting closer to him every minute of every hour, but we know who he is,” said Capers, adding, “he [the suspect] is from Mexico. The victims themselves were from Honduras.”

Authorities have advised locals to “stay inside, stay clear” of the crime scene until the investigation has concluded.

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
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In Cleveland, United States, a drunk man allegedly killed five people, including an eight-year-old child in a shooting incident at a southeast Texas home. As per the authorities, the suspect, who used an AR-15-style assault rifle to commit the crime, is still at large.

In Cleveland, United States, a drunk man allegedly killed five people, including an eight-year-old child in a shooting incident at a southeast Texas home. As per the authorities, the suspect, who used an AR-15-style assault rifle to commit the crime, is still at large. The incident, as per ABC News, occurred shortly after 11:31 pm local time, Friday (GMT 4:31 am, Saturday). Authorities from the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office report that they received a call about a harassment incident in Cleveland, Texas — around 55 miles (89 Kilometres) north of Houston. When the police reached the scene, they found several victims shot “almost execution style”. Also read | US: Shooting incident kills one at Oklahoma's Rose College of 13,000 student-strength Speaking to ABC News’ Houston station KTRK, Sheriff Greg Capers of the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office revealed that all the victims were shot “from the neck up almost execution style, basically in the head.” Police believe the motive was a disagreement between the victims and the suspect, who had a habit of shooting his AR-15-style rifle in his front yard. Capers told KTRK that the victims had asked the shooter to keep quiet as they had a sleeping baby. “My understanding is that the victims, they came over to the fence and said ‘Hey could [you not do your] shooting out in the yard? We have a young baby that’s trying to go to sleep,’ and he had been drinking and he says ‘I’ll do what I want to in my front yard’,” said Capers. At the time of the shooting, there were at least 10 people in the home. The youngest victim of the tragic shooting is an eight-year-old child. Also among the victims are two females who, as per the ABC News report — in an apparent attempt to save them — were found lying on top of the two surviving children. The suspect, as per authorities, is a Mexican male, armed with an AR-15-style rifle. He is believed to be in an intoxicated state. Police are looking for a Hispanic male with short black hair, approximately 5’8" tall. The suspect was reportedly last seen wearing blue jeans with a black shirt and work boots. Also read | In America, a long-held belief in American exceptionalism is fading All of his victims are between the ages of eight and 40 years. Four victims were declared dead at the scene while another four died after being taken to the hospital. Police haven’t revealed the identities of the victims or their relationship to the suspect, but said they are from Honduras. “We are getting closer to him every minute of every hour, but we know who he is,” said Capers, adding, “he [the suspect] is from Mexico. The victims themselves were from Honduras.” Authorities have advised locals to “stay inside, stay clear” of the crime scene until the investigation has concluded. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Drunk man kills 5, including 8-year-old, in ‘execution style’ with hunting rifle in Cleveland, on the run

Barely a day after the deadly Nashville school shooting in the US, a police officer in Huntsville, Alabama lost his life while another remains hospitalised in critical condition while they were responding to a shooting call.&nbsp;

The two officers from the&nbsp;Huntsville Police Department were responding to a call at 4:45 PM from a woman who said she had been shot. The shooter, a man who had barricaded himself inside an apartment, fired at the officers after they arrived on the scene.&nbsp;

The officers were transported to the hospital where one succumbed to the injuries while the other is still battling for life. As for the shooter, the police officers apprehended him a little more than an hour later around 6:20 PM and transported him to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.&nbsp;

"This is a devastating loss for the our department, the Huntsville community and the State of Alabama.&nbsp;We send our heartfelt condolences to the officer's family as they mourn their loved one who made the ultimate sacrifice,"&nbsp;Kirk Giles, Huntsville police chief said in a statement.&nbsp;

The authorities advised the public to avoid the area as there was a heavy police presence.&nbsp;

"This is a painful night for the City of Huntsville and for our police family. We are heartbroken. Words cannot express our loss. We have been overwhelmed by the show of love and support from our community, and we stand united with our police officers and their families in this tragic moment," said&nbsp;Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/three-months-into-2023-and-9800-killed-in-gun-violence-in-us-576618">ALSO READ |&nbsp;Three months into 2023 and 9,800 killed in gun violence in US</a>

<h2>What happened in Nashville?</h2>

A day prior to the Alabama shooting incident,&nbsp;28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale, a trans person, went on a rampage and killed three children and as many adults after opening fire at The Covenant School in the Green Hills neighbourhood of Nashville, Tennessee.&nbsp;

Surveillance videos released by the police show Hale wielding the weapons and shooting down glass doors to enter the building. The shooter checks out different rooms before shooting down various hallways.&nbsp;

As per reports, the shooter left behind a map and a manifesto relating to the attack. The items were revealed upon a search of the suspect's house.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/nashville-school-shooting-3-children-3-adults-killed-shooter-dead-576443">WATCH |&nbsp;Nashville school shooting: 3 children, 3 adults killed, shooter dead</a>

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<h2>US gun violence on a rise</h2>

According to reports, in the first three months of 2023 alone, about 9,870 people have been killed in US gun shootings. The average comes down to 114 people being killed daily.&nbsp;

The findings into the US gun deaths also reveal that 322 people were killed in officer-involved shootings whereas there have been 344 "unintentional" shootings.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Barely a day after the deadly Nashville school shooting in the US, a police officer in Huntsville, Alabama lost his life while another remains hospitalised in critical condition while they were responding to a shooting call.

Barely a day after the deadly Nashville school shooting in the US, a police officer in Huntsville, Alabama lost his life while another remains hospitalised in critical condition while they were responding to a shooting call. The two officers from the Huntsville Police Department were responding to a call at 4:45 PM from a woman who said she had been shot. The shooter, a man who had barricaded himself inside an apartment, fired at the officers after they arrived on the scene. The officers were transported to the hospital where one succumbed to the injuries while the other is still battling for life. As for the shooter, the police officers apprehended him a little more than an hour later around 6:20 PM and transported him to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. "This is a devastating loss for the our department, the Huntsville community and the State of Alabama. We send our heartfelt condolences to the officer's family as they mourn their loved one who made the ultimate sacrifice," Kirk Giles, Huntsville police chief said in a statement. The authorities advised the public to avoid the area as there was a heavy police presence. "This is a painful night for the City of Huntsville and for our police family. We are heartbroken. Words cannot express our loss. We have been overwhelmed by the show of love and support from our community, and we stand united with our police officers and their families in this tragic moment," said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said. ALSO READ | Three months into 2023 and 9,800 killed in gun violence in US What happened in Nashville? A day prior to the Alabama shooting incident, 28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale, a trans person, went on a rampage and killed three children and as many adults after opening fire at The Covenant School in the Green Hills neighbourhood of Nashville, Tennessee. Surveillance videos released by the police show Hale wielding the weapons and shooting down glass doors to enter the building. The shooter checks out different rooms before shooting down various hallways. As per reports, the shooter left behind a map and a manifesto relating to the attack. The items were revealed upon a search of the suspect's house. WATCH | Nashville school shooting: 3 children, 3 adults killed, shooter dead × US gun violence on a rise According to reports, in the first three months of 2023 alone, about 9,870 people have been killed in US gun shootings. The average comes down to 114 people being killed daily. The findings into the US gun deaths also reveal that 322 people were killed in officer-involved shootings whereas there have been 344 "unintentional" shootings. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

No letup in US gun violence: 1 police officer shot dead, 1 critically injured in Alabama

A survivor of last year's Highland Park parade mass attack interrupted the television coverage of a network on Monday in the aftermath of the deadly Nashville school shooting.

A survivor of last year's Highland Park parade mass attack interrupted the television coverage of a network on Monday in the aftermath of the deadly Nashville school shooting. The woman identified as an activist named Ashbey Beasley went up to the mics and camera and demanded the lawmakers pass gun control legislation while asking if the media was not tired of covering the shootings. The Highland Park shooting took place in the US state of Illinois on July 4, 2022, and left seven people dead. Beasley said she was in Tennessee on a holiday when the shooting took place. "Aren't you guys tired of covering this?" said Beasley. "How is this still happening? How are our children still dying and why are we failing them? Gun violence is the number one killer of children and teens. It has overtaken cars." "I have been lobbying in DC since we survived a mass shooting in July. I have met with over 130 lawmakers. How is this still happening? How are our children still dying and why are we still failing them?" she added. “How is this still happening? How are our children still dying and why are we failing them?” — Ashbey Beasley, who says she survived the Highland Park mass shooting with her son last July 4th, makes a passionate case for gun control following The Covenant School mass shooting pic.twitter.com/8hiSe9FIg2 — The Recount (@therecount) March 27, 2023 × WATCH | Nashville school shooting: 3 children, 3 adults killed, shooter dead × What happened in Nashville? The authorities informed that 28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale has been identified as the shooter who killed three children and adults after opening fire at The Covenant School in the Green Hills neighbourhood of Nashville. Hale, a transgender person, wearing a black vest over a white T-shirt, camouflage pants and a backward red baseball cap was armed with at least two assault weapons and a handgun when carrying out the shooting. ALSO READ | Nashville shooting Live updates | Three children among six killed; suspect fatally shot Surveillance videos released by the police show Hale wielding the weapons and shooting down glass doors to enter the building. The shooter checks out different rooms before shooting down various hallways. Nine-year-olds Evely Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, William Kinney, 61-year-old Cynthia Peak, 60-year-old Katherine Koonce, and 61-year-old Mike Hill have been identified as the victims of the attack. As per reports, the shooter left behind a map and a manifesto relating to the attack. The items were revealed upon a search of the suspect's house. WATCH | Nashville shooting suspect seen driving down to school, shooting down doors (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

'Aren't you guys tired..': Survivor questions after deadly Nashville shooting

In what comes as a freak accident, a three-year-old kid killed her four-year-old sister by&nbsp;accidentally firing a pistol in the state of Texas on Sunday night.&nbsp;Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez informed about the accident and said the sister died on the spot.&nbsp;

According to a Fox News report, there were five adults and two girls in the home when the shooting took place&nbsp;at&nbsp;Bammel North Houston Road apartment near Tomball Parkway. The girls lived with their parents in the apartment and were joined by family and friends.&nbsp;

The girls were alone in the bedroom playing amongst themselves as one parent thought the other was watching them. The younger kid stumbled upon a loaded pistol and discharged it, which unfortunately struck her sister.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-1-child-is-shot-in-america-every-hour-444553">Gravitas: 1 child is shot in America every hour</a>

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The parents and other adults rushed to the scene after hearing the gunshot and secured the firearm. They called 911 and reported the incident. However, it was too late by then as the little toddler died en route to the hospital.&nbsp;

"@HCSOTexas units responded to an apt unit at 9955 Bammel North Houston. Preliminary info: two toddlers were inside the unit with other persons. One toddler (3 yrs) gained access to a firearm and unintentionally shot the other (4 yrs)," said&nbsp;Gonzalez in a tweet.&nbsp;

"The toddler was pronounced deceased at the scene. Investigators and PIO are en route."

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<a href="https://twitter.com/HCSOTexas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HCSOTexas</a> units responded to an apt unit at 9955 Bammel North Houston. Preliminary info: two toddlers were inside the unit with other persons. One toddler (3 yrs) gained access to a firearm and unintentionally shot the other (4 yrs). The toddler was pronounced 
1/2 <a href="https://t.co/AdXDgZ6bzF">pic.twitter.com/AdXDgZ6bzF</a>
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) <a href="https://twitter.com/SheriffEd_HCSO/status/1635093373127389184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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It is unclear if any charges will be filed as the shooting appears accidental. However, the incident once again raises questions regarding gun safety laws.&nbsp;

United States is the only country on the planet with more guns in private hands than people. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a gun trade association, that number now stands at 434 million. The US&nbsp;Census Bureau’s latest estimate of the population is 333.2 million.

Lax gun laws, coupled with negligent parents that leave loaded weapons around kids is a recipe for disaster and one that has played out far too often in recent times.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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In what comes as a freak accident, a three-year-old kid killed her four-year-old sister by accidentally firing a pistol in the state of Texas on Sunday night. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez informed about the accident and said the sister died on the spot.

In what comes as a freak accident, a three-year-old kid killed her four-year-old sister by accidentally firing a pistol in the state of Texas on Sunday night. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez informed about the accident and said the sister died on the spot. According to a Fox News report, there were five adults and two girls in the home when the shooting took place at Bammel North Houston Road apartment near Tomball Parkway. The girls lived with their parents in the apartment and were joined by family and friends. The girls were alone in the bedroom playing amongst themselves as one parent thought the other was watching them. The younger kid stumbled upon a loaded pistol and discharged it, which unfortunately struck her sister. Gravitas: 1 child is shot in America every hour × The parents and other adults rushed to the scene after hearing the gunshot and secured the firearm. They called 911 and reported the incident. However, it was too late by then as the little toddler died en route to the hospital. "@HCSOTexas units responded to an apt unit at 9955 Bammel North Houston. Preliminary info: two toddlers were inside the unit with other persons. One toddler (3 yrs) gained access to a firearm and unintentionally shot the other (4 yrs)," said Gonzalez in a tweet. "The toddler was pronounced deceased at the scene. Investigators and PIO are en route." @HCSOTexas units responded to an apt unit at 9955 Bammel North Houston. Preliminary info: two toddlers were inside the unit with other persons. One toddler (3 yrs) gained access to a firearm and unintentionally shot the other (4 yrs). The toddler was pronounced 1/2 pic.twitter.com/AdXDgZ6bzF — Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) March 13, 2023 × It is unclear if any charges will be filed as the shooting appears accidental. However, the incident once again raises questions regarding gun safety laws. United States is the only country on the planet with more guns in private hands than people. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a gun trade association, that number now stands at 434 million. The US Census Bureau’s latest estimate of the population is 333.2 million. Lax gun laws, coupled with negligent parents that leave loaded weapons around kids is a recipe for disaster and one that has played out far too often in recent times. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Tragic! Three-year-old toddler accidentally shoots and kills four-year-old sister in Texas

Justice Amy Coney Barrett is just starting to make her mark at the Supreme Court.

On Wednesday, her vote flipped the court’s approach to restrictions on attendance at religious services during the coronavirus pandemic. While Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was alive, the court had allowed such limits, in California and Nevada, by 5-4 votes. After Barrett succeeded her, she joined the court’s four most conservative justices to strike down restrictions in New York.

Those same four justices are now on high alert for a promising case in which to expand Second Amendment rights, having written repeatedly and emphatically about the court’s failure to take gun rights seriously. Barrett seems poised to supply the fifth vote they need.

A Second Amendment case decided last week by the federal appeals court in Philadelphia is a promising candidate for Supreme Court review, not least because it presents an issue on which Barrett has already taken a stand.

It concerns Lisa M. Folajtar, who would like to buy a gun. But she is a felon, having pleaded guilty to tax evasion, which means under federal law she may not possess firearms.

She sued, arguing that the law violated her Second Amendment rights. A divided three-judge panel of appeals court rejected her challenge, saying that committing a serious crime has consequences. It can lead to losing the right to vote, to serve on a jury — or to have a gun.

The ruling adopted the position of the Trump Justice Department.

“The right to keep and bear arms is analogous to other civic rights that have historically been subject to forfeiture by individuals convicted of crimes, including the right to vote, the right to serve on a jury and the right to hold public office,” lawyers for Attorney General William Barr told the appeals court.

In dissent, Judge Stephanos Bibas, a former law professor appointed to the court by President Donald Trump (and the author of a scathing decision Friday rejecting the president’s challenge to the election results in Pennsylvania), wrote that the framers of the Constitution would not have allowed lawmakers to bar felons convicted of nonviolent crimes from owning guns.

“Lisa Folajtar asks us to treat her as an equal member of society,” he wrote. “Though her tax-fraud conviction affects some of her privileges, it does not change her right to keep and bear arms.”

Bibas wrote that his analysis had drawn heavily from a dissent last year in a similar case concerning a man convicted of mail fraud.

That dissent was written by Barrett when she was a judge on the federal appeals court in Chicago. The law forbidding people with felony convictions from owning guns, she wrote, should not apply when the crimes in question were nonviolent.

“History does not support the proposition that felons lose their Second Amendment rights solely because of their status as felons,” she wrote. “But it does support the proposition that the state can take the right to bear arms away from a category of people that it deems dangerous.”

Voting and jury service are different, she wrote, because those are “rights that depend on civic virtue.”

The Supreme Court has not issued a major Second Amendment decision since a pair of rulings, in 2008 and 2010, established an individual right for law-abiding citizens to keep guns in their homes for self-defense. Beyond that, the justices have said almost nothing about the scope of the right, and lower courts have sustained many kinds of gun control laws.

Before Barrett’s arrival, the court’s four most conservative justices had repeatedly written that the court should return to the subject of the Second Amendment

In 2017, for instance, Justice Clarence Thomas, joined by Justice Neil Gorsuch, wrote that they had detected “a distressing trend: the treatment of the Second Amendment as a disfavored right.”

“For those of us who work in marbled halls, guarded constantly by a vigilant and dedicated police force, the guarantees of the Second Amendment might seem antiquated and superfluous,” Thomas wrote. “But the framers made a clear choice: They reserved to all Americans the right to bear arms for self-defense.”

In June, however, the court turned down some 10 appeals in Second Amendment cases. Since it takes only four votes to grant review, there is good reason to think that the court’s conservative wing was unsure it could secure Chief Justice John Roberts' vote.

Barrett’s arrival changes the calculus. Should Folajtar appeal to the Supreme Court, it is a good bet that Barrett will find her arguments persuasive.

Still, the 2008 decision, District of Columbia v. Heller, would seem to create a hurdle for Folajtar. The majority opinion, written by Justice Antonin Scalia, included an important limiting passage, the price of Justice Anthony Kennedy’s crucial fifth vote.

“Nothing in our opinion,” Scalia wrote, “should be taken to cast doubt on long-standing prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons.”

Last year, the court agreed to hear a challenge to a New York City gun-control ordinance. But it ended up dismissing the case in April, after the city repealed the ordinance.

Dissenting from that ruling, Justice Samuel Alito noted that the Heller decision “recognized that history supported the constitutionality of some laws limiting the right to possess a firearm,” including ones “prohibiting possession by felons and other dangerous individuals.”

That last phrase, which did not appear in the earlier decision, may be significant. In shifting the focus to dangerousness, it seemed to open the door to the position taken by Barrett.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett is just starting to make her mark at the Supreme Court. On Wednesday, her vote flipped the court’s approach to restrictions on attendance at religious services during the coronavirus pandemic.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett is just starting to make her mark at the Supreme Court. On Wednesday, her vote flipped the court’s approach to restrictions on attendance at religious services during the coronavirus pandemic. While Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was alive, the court had allowed such limits, in California and Nevada, by 5-4 votes. After Barrett succeeded her, she joined the court’s four most conservative justices to strike down restrictions in New York. Those same four justices are now on high alert for a promising case in which to expand Second Amendment rights, having written repeatedly and emphatically about the court’s failure to take gun rights seriously. Barrett seems poised to supply the fifth vote they need. A Second Amendment case decided last week by the federal appeals court in Philadelphia is a promising candidate for Supreme Court review, not least because it presents an issue on which Barrett has already taken a stand. It concerns Lisa M. Folajtar, who would like to buy a gun. But she is a felon, having pleaded guilty to tax evasion, which means under federal law she may not possess firearms. She sued, arguing that the law violated her Second Amendment rights. A divided three-judge panel of appeals court rejected her challenge, saying that committing a serious crime has consequences. It can lead to losing the right to vote, to serve on a jury — or to have a gun. The ruling adopted the position of the Trump Justice Department. “The right to keep and bear arms is analogous to other civic rights that have historically been subject to forfeiture by individuals convicted of crimes, including the right to vote, the right to serve on a jury and the right to hold public office,” lawyers for Attorney General William Barr told the appeals court. In dissent, Judge Stephanos Bibas, a former law professor appointed to the court by President Donald Trump (and the author of a scathing decision Friday rejecting the president’s challenge to the election results in Pennsylvania), wrote that the framers of the Constitution would not have allowed lawmakers to bar felons convicted of nonviolent crimes from owning guns. “Lisa Folajtar asks us to treat her as an equal member of society,” he wrote. “Though her tax-fraud conviction affects some of her privileges, it does not change her right to keep and bear arms.” Bibas wrote that his analysis had drawn heavily from a dissent last year in a similar case concerning a man convicted of mail fraud. That dissent was written by Barrett when she was a judge on the federal appeals court in Chicago. The law forbidding people with felony convictions from owning guns, she wrote, should not apply when the crimes in question were nonviolent. “History does not support the proposition that felons lose their Second Amendment rights solely because of their status as felons,” she wrote. “But it does support the proposition that the state can take the right to bear arms away from a category of people that it deems dangerous.” Voting and jury service are different, she wrote, because those are “rights that depend on civic virtue.” The Supreme Court has not issued a major Second Amendment decision since a pair of rulings, in 2008 and 2010, established an individual right for law-abiding citizens to keep guns in their homes for self-defense. Beyond that, the justices have said almost nothing about the scope of the right, and lower courts have sustained many kinds of gun control laws. Before Barrett’s arrival, the court’s four most conservative justices had repeatedly written that the court should return to the subject of the Second Amendment In 2017, for instance, Justice Clarence Thomas, joined by Justice Neil Gorsuch, wrote that they had detected “a distressing trend: the treatment of the Second Amendment as a disfavored right.” “For those of us who work in marbled halls, guarded constantly by a vigilant and dedicated police force, the guarantees of the Second Amendment might seem antiquated and superfluous,” Thomas wrote. “But the framers made a clear choice: They reserved to all Americans the right to bear arms for self-defense.” In June, however, the court turned down some 10 appeals in Second Amendment cases. Since it takes only four votes to grant review, there is good reason to think that the court’s conservative wing was unsure it could secure Chief Justice John Roberts' vote. Barrett’s arrival changes the calculus. Should Folajtar appeal to the Supreme Court, it is a good bet that Barrett will find her arguments persuasive. Still, the 2008 decision, District of Columbia v. Heller, would seem to create a hurdle for Folajtar. The majority opinion, written by Justice Antonin Scalia, included an important limiting passage, the price of Justice Anthony Kennedy’s crucial fifth vote. “Nothing in our opinion,” Scalia wrote, “should be taken to cast doubt on long-standing prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons.” Last year, the court agreed to hear a challenge to a New York City gun-control ordinance. But it ended up dismissing the case in April, after the city repealed the ordinance. Dissenting from that ruling, Justice Samuel Alito noted that the Heller decision “recognized that history supported the constitutionality of some laws limiting the right to possess a firearm,” including ones “prohibiting possession by felons and other dangerous individuals.” That last phrase, which did not appear in the earlier decision, may be significant. In shifting the focus to dangerousness, it seemed to open the door to the position taken by Barrett.

Justice Barrett’s vote could tilt the Supreme Court on gun rights

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Drunk man kills 5, including 8-year-old, in ‘execution style’ with hunting rifle in Cleveland, on the run

No letup in US gun violence: 1 police officer shot dead, 1 critically injured in Alabama

'Aren't you guys tired..': Survivor questions after deadly Nashville shooting

Tragic! Three-year-old toddler accidentally shoots and kills four-year-old sister in Texas

Justice Barrett’s vote could tilt the Supreme Court on gun rights