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How COVID-19 could affect the Supreme Courts current gun case.The petitioners inNew York State Pistol and Rifle Association v. City of New Yorkarguethat a city restriction on gun owners taking their firearms outside the five boroughs violated the Second Amendment. The city later repealed the law in question, but a broader ruling on the right to bear arms is still very possible. Jake Charles, the executive director of the Duke Center for Firearms Law,surmisesthat the current coronavirus pandemic could have three potential effects on the case:

Charles is betting on the second and then third options as most likely. Read his full piecehere.Go deeper:In November, Trace contributor Olivia Liinterviewedthe legal scholar Joseph Blocher, one of Charless colleagues, about the implications of the case.

A message on gun violence from Chicagos departing top cop:If there is a lesson to be learned from COVID-19, it is that Chicago needs to unite behind the cause of ending gun violence in the same way it has united to flatten the curve, Charlie Beck, the citys interim police superintendent, writes in The Chicago Tribune. After five months at the helm of the department, Beck is set to be replaced by former Dallas Police Chief David Brown. In his swan song, Beck reserved special praise for the citys efforts tosupportcommunity gun violence prevention groups, violence interrupters, and street outreach workers, saying, We both [police and outreach workers] want a city free from the violent crime that has taken its toll on poor and minority communities.

Elsewhere, outreach workers continue to take on dual roles as public health ambassadors.The Cityreports on Street Corner Resources, a nonprofit group that works to curb gun violence in Harlem and is now asking kids to take social distancing precautions. Said Iesha Sekou, the groups founder: Its just like, I know if Im on the corner with 20 kids, theres a gun somewhere. I assume that. Its the same way. Its like the gun is the disease. Somebody in that crowd is a carrier.Dont miss:The Trace reported on similar efforts inChicagoandBaltimore, and in a newcommentarythis week, leaders of two national grassroots anti-violence groups praised such workers as more essential than ever.

A court again sides with Los Angeles over gun store closures.A state judgedenieda request from California gun rights groups and firearms dealers objecting to the citys decision to shutter gun stores under a statewide stay-at-home order. Last week, a federal judgedismisseda similar challenge lodged by the National Rifle Association. Im very pleased that once again our office has successfully defended the mayors Safer at Home Order against a push to open gun stores during this public health emergency, said City Attorney Mike Feuer.Related:Governor Gavin Newsom is letting local officials decide whether the states stay-at-home order should cover gun shops. A Democratic state legislator from Los Angeles wants him to go further byrestrictinggun and ammunition sales during the shutdown altogether.

Preventing the deadly mix of suicide and guns.A newreportfrom the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence recommends four solutions to stem what it describes as a heightened risk during the pandemic: Safe gun storage; professionals asking about firearms; having gun dealers be aresourceforsuicide prevention; and states that have red flag lawsprovidingguidance and public awareness on how they can temporarily disarm a gun owner deemed to be a threat to themselves.(If you or someone you know is in crisis, theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineis available 24 hours a day: 1-800-273-8255.)

Florida man arrested for pandemic-related mass shooting threat.The 62-year-old wasbookedon felony charges after police say he threatened a mass shooting because not enough people were wearing masks at grocery stores. We realize these are stressful times, but there is no excuse for making threats like this, the Highland County Sheriffs Office wrote on Facebook.

DATA POINT

32 the number of lives lost at the Virginia Tech mass shooting, which happened 13 years ago today. Because of the pandemic, the school has cancelled its annual public memorial service. Instead, a ceremonial candle will burn for 24 hours. Virginia Tech

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Daily Bulletin: How Will COVID-19 Affect the Supreme Court's Next Gun Case? - The Trace