Madison gun owner Auric Gold said he often carries a handgun in a holster while walking in his east side neighborhood, a right that attorney general J.B. Van Hollen affirmed in a memorandum to prosecutors on Monday.
Van Hollen said it's legal to openly carry a gun on the street in Wisconsin and advised prosecutors that merely having a gun doesn't, by itself, warrant a disorderly conduct charge.
The advisory gives those who choose to carry guns in public more confidence in doing so but isn't likely to spark a rush to arms, said Gold, who works with OpenCarry.org, a gun rights advocacy group based in Virginia.
“Most of those inclined to do it already knew it was legal,” said Gold, a 54-year-old photographer. “Those that choose to do so should be able to do so without interference.”
There didn't appear to be a noticeable increase in publicly armed residents Tuesday, but that could change.
A group of Wisconsin gun advocates is planning a picnic in July with food, soft drinks and handguns, Gold said. Organizers are looking at locations in Burlington, he said, and a second picnic is being planned for the northern part of the state.
The events would give gun owners an opportunity to “enjoy each other's company and exercise the right to open carry in Wisconsin,” Gold said. Read more
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
