A federal judge has ruled that Montgomery County, Maryland, must allow a synagogue to permit attendees to carry concealed firearms, a decision made on Thursday.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, a Democrat, had signed Bill 23-26 into law on July 27. This was an update to local firearms regulations following a state Supreme Court ruling on April 28 that invalidated certain previous restrictions regarding firearm carry. The ruling came from Senior U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow, appointed by Clinton, in a case initiated by the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) against the county concerning its “sensitive places ban.” This ban is also undergoing scrutiny by the Justice Department.
In her 72-page opinion, Chasanow noted that the evidence cited by the county did not convincingly show that historical restrictions on firearms in places of worship were widely accepted. She referred to a U.S. Supreme Court decision in Wolford v. Lopez that overturned multiple aspects of a Hawaii law limiting firearm carry, highlighting the parallels between Montgomery County’s approach and these legal precedents.
The Department of Justice had previously cautioned Montgomery County, indicating that its laws could leave individuals in places of worship defenseless against potential attacks. In a letter dated July 30, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights R. Jonas Geissler argued that “history teaches us” that houses of worship face a risk of armed assaults, and congregants deserve the ability to protect themselves.
Over the years, various places of worship have been victim to violent attacks. Notably, in 2015, a shooter killed nine people at a church in Charleston, South Carolina. Additionally, there was an attack in a Mormon church in Michigan in September 2025, and a San Diego mosque was targeted in May. The Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh also suffered a mass shooting in October 2018.
In some instances, armed security has proven effective—like in West Bloomfield, Michigan, where guards prevented further harm during an attempted assault. In a separate case from December 2019, an armed parishioner in Texas killed an assailant who had opened fire in a church, evidencing the potential necessity of armed individuals in such settings.
