The United States Supreme Court The United States Supreme Court on Friday, June 21, 2024, in United States v. Rahimi, upholds federal law prohibiting individuals subject to final domestic violence protective orders from possessing, receiving, shipping, or transporting firearms or ammunition. This significant ruling is a victory for domestic violence victims, affirming the importance of protecting them from further harm.

Guns are frequently used in domestic violence homicides, making this decision a crucial step toward safety. Research published in the American Journal of Public Health found that the presence of a gun in domestic violence situations significantly increases the risk of homicide, endangering victims, other family members, and bystanders. Intimate partner violence involving a firearm is 12 times more likely to result in death than similar incidents that do not involve a firearm. These sobering statistics highlight the critical role firearms play as high-risk indicators for lethality in domestic violence relationships.

This decision stands firmly against recent trends of expanding gun rights, ensuring some longstanding protections remain intact for domestic violence victims/survivors.