Minnesota Justices Deem Car Interior Public Place for Gun Law

Drivers on public roads with weapons inside their vehicles can be charged under a Minnesota law prohibiting guns in public places, the Minnesota Supreme Court held.

The phrase “public place” in Minnesota’s statute “unambiguously includes the interior of a motor vehicle on a public roadway,” Justice Anne McKeig wrote in a Wednesday opinion affirming a state appellate court.

The ruling clarifies the scope of a law that makes it a gross misdemeanor to carry a BB gun, rifle, or shotgun in a public place. Kyaw Be Bee, who was charged after a law enforcement officer found a BB gun in ...