The Supreme Court may be on the verge of expanding the right to carry guns in public as the nation is terrorized by mass shootings

The Supreme Court is considering a case that could affect gun safety laws in the country and expand Americans, while Americans are still reeling from mass shootings at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York last week and an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday.

The most significant gun-rights case the court has considered in 14 years is expected to be decided in late June or early July.

The gun-permit law in New York was enacted over a century ago. It requires people who want a license to carry a gun in public to demonstrate a proper reason.

Two New York men who applied for state permits to carry a concealed gun in public for self-defense were denied because they did not meet the proper cause standard, backed by the National Rifle Association. They claimed that the New York law violates their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

On November 3, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments. The conservative justices appeared to be open to the idea that the New York rule was unconstitutional.

"Why isn't it good enough for me to say I live in a violent area and want to defend myself?" asked Justice Kavanaugh, appointed by former President Donald Trump.

Justice Samuel Alito, a George W. Bush appointee, said during oral arguments that criminals can walk around New York City with their illegal guns, but the ordinary hard-working, law-abiding people can't be armed.

The outcome of the court's decision on the New York rule would have far-reaching consequences. In addition to New York, at least seven other states, including California, Massachusetts, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Hawaii, have similar concealed carry licensing rules that would be expected to fall.

According to supporters of the gun-reform movement, an outcome like this would bring more guns into public spaces. Gun-rights advocates claim that a decision siding with the challengers would allow more gun owners to protect themselves in public.

Some exceptions could be allowed by the court if it issued a narrow ruling on the case. During oral arguments, the justices expressed concern about people carrying concealed guns in crowded public areas.

This is the first major case in which the Supreme Court is considering whether the Constitution protects an individual's right to carry a gun outside the home. The last time the court decided a landmark gun-rights case was in 2008, when the majority of justices ruled that the Constitution protects the right to keep a gun inside the home for self-defense.

The law in Texas allows people over the age of 21 to carry a gun in public without a permit after a shooting at an elementary school left at least 19 children and two adults dead.