The US Supreme Court has recognized the carrying of firearms in public as a fundamental right of citizens. By a vote of six to three judges, the Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a New York state statute requiring proof of special self-defense needs to obtain a gun license.

The court found that this regulation violated two amendments to the US Constitution. The influential gun lobby organization National Rifle Association (NRA) immediately welcomed the decision on Twitter and celebrated a “victory”.

New York governor Kathy Hochul, on the other hand, spoke of a “black day”. The court decision was “absolutely shocking,” she said. New York state recently restricted access to firearms following a racially motivated gun attack at a convenience store in the city of Buffalo.

Recently, the worst US school massacre in a decade had also sparked horror in Texas and fueled debate about lax US gun laws. Despite the carnage, the NRA held its annual meeting three days later. The organization, which is as influential as it is controversial, has been successfully fighting tightening gun laws for decades.