Supreme Court strikes down New York gun law

Washington — The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a New York law that placed strict restrictions on carrying concealed firearms in public for self defense, finding its requirement that applicants seeking a license to carry a concealed handgun demonstrate a "proper cause" to do so in public is unconstitutional.

In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court reversed a lower court decision upholding New York's 108-year-old law limiting who can obtain a license to carry a concealed handgun in public. Proponents of the measure warned that a ruling from the high court invalidating it could threaten gun restrictions in several states and lead to more firearms on city streets.

Justice Clarence Thomas delivered the majority opinion for the ideologically-divided court, writing that New York's "proper-cause requirement" prevented law-abiding citizens from exercising their Second Amendment right.