A Heavily Armed Man Caused Panic at a Supermarket. But Did He Break the Law?

January 2, 2023 ☼ guns

Source: The New York Times (Link)

Mr. Marley, then 22, was arrested without incident that day in March 2021. His lawyer, Charles Brant, noted that he had not made any threats or fired any shots, and had legally purchased his guns. Mr. Marley did not violate Georgia law, Mr. Brant said; he was “just being a person, doing what he had the right to do.”

Indeed, Mr. Marley’s arrest kicked off a long and as yet unresolved legal odyssey in which the criminal justice system waffled over what it could charge him with and whether to set him free. Clearly, visiting the grocery store with a trove of guns had frightened people. But was it illegal?

It probably was not illegal to carry the guns in Georgia. But it is certainly a disturbance of the peace. Let’s use some common sense here and ban excessive armaments.