SCOTUS Lets Illinois Public Transit Carry Ban Stand, Leaving a Dangerous “Sensitive Places” Theory in Place

Summary

The U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari in Schoenthal v. Raoul on April 6, 2026, upholding the Seventh Circuit's ruling that affirmed Illinois' ban on carrying firearms on public transportation. This decision leaves in place a broad interpretation of "sensitive places" to include "crowded and confined places," which gun rights advocates fear could be used to justify further carry bans.