Grandmother Sues Hammond Over Gun Ban

Grandmother Sues Hammond, Ind., Over Gun Ban

A grandmother who says she wants to carry a gun with her when she brings her grandchildren to a park near her Hammond., Ind. home filed a lawsuit Monday with the hopes of challenging city law which currently bans carrying a firearm into a public park.

Michelle Bahus, a licensed gun owner, lives within a block of the Hammond Park she wishes to bring her firearm to, the Northwest Indiana Times reports. Another plaintiff in the lawsuit, student Samuel Dykstra, also is a licensed gun carrier who wants to see Hammond's ban dismantled. The lawsuit is seeking class-action status.

The city's gun ban, according to an AP report, is on the books despite the Indiana General Assembly this year passing a law allowing registered gun owners to carry their firearm inside public buildings that do not hold a court. Hammond City Council this month turned down a proposal to loosen up its gun regulations in alignment with state law, though the city's mayor, Thomas McDermott Jr., has said he doesn't plan to enforce the existing ban.

In addition to seeking damages for the gun owners, the lawsuit also is pushing for a court order for the city to either repeal or amend their ordinances to comply with the newly approved state law, the Northwest Indiana Times reports.

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