WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Americans have a fundamental right to carry firearms in public in a landmark decision that came just weeks after another deadly school shooting.

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The 6-3 ruling strikes down a New York law that required a person to prove they had legitimate self-defense needs to receive a gun permit and will prevent states from restricting people carrying guns. Despite a growing call for limits on firearms after two mass shootings in May stunned the country, the court sided with advocates who said the US Constitution guarantees the right to own and carry guns.