The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a New York state law that made it difficult for most people to obtain a handgun carry permit.
The ruling, which was made via a 6-3 vote, is expected to ultimately allow more people to legally carry guns on the streets of the nation’s largest cities – such as New York or Los Angeles.
Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the majority that the Constitution protects “an individual’s right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home.”
The ruling builds on the court’s last major gun rights decision in 2008’s District of Columbia v. Heller. In that case, the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution protects an individual’s right to keep a gun in the home for self-defense.
New York was one of at least six states – along with California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Jersey – with laws that prevented most people from legally carrying a handgun in public.
The ruling comes as Congress is actively working on gun legislation following recent mass shootings in Texas, New York, and California.