Louisiana Lawmakers Weigh Bill Allowing Defensive Gun Uses in Churches

State Rep. Beryl Amedée (R-51) is sponsoring legislation to include defensive gun uses in houses of worship as “justifiable uses of force” in Louisiana.

The legislation has already passed the Louisiana House and should work its way through the Senate this week.

The bill, HB 235, stipulates that the use of lethal force “by a lawful person” in a house of worship is “justifiable” when:

Is made for the purpose of preventing an intruder from committing a crime or forcible offense against the religious building property or against the lawful person or against another person present in the religious building property. [Or if] the lawful person reasonably believes that the use of force is necessary to prevent the entry or compel the intruder to leave the religious building property or to prevent the intruder from committing a crime against the permittee or other person inside the building.

When the October 27, 2018, shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, occurred, there was no armed security on duty. Eleven innocents were killed in that defenseless situation. Amedee’s bill seeks to remedy this by being sure worshipers in Louisiana houses of worship can legally use guns in defense of themselves and other worshipers.

When the November 5, 2017, shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, occurred, there was no armed security present. Twenty-six innocents were killed by the attacker before an armed citizen arrived and shot the gunman. Amedee’s bill seeks to create a different narrative — one in which worshipers can act immediately on behalf themselves and others and take out the attacker before casualty upon casualty occurs.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.