The Limits of Gun-Free Zones

Where can governments legally restrict firearms. While the landmark case, District of Columbia v. Heller, identified schools and government buildings as examples of “sensitive areas,” the scope of these restrictions is still developing in the courts. The recent Bruen case has reinvigorated this debate, with justices questioning the criteria for determining what constitutes a “sensitive place” and how to apply historical context to modern gon-restricted locations such as subways, planes, or sports arenas.

Second Amendment scholar, Prof. Joseph Blocher explores the case law and legal history involving gun-free places and how Bruen’s Text, History, and Tradition test governs the types of places where guns can be restricted.

Joseph Blocher is a leading Second Amendment scholar and a professor at Duke Law School. He serves as co-director of the Duke Center for Firearms Law.