ATLANTA, Ga. — A gun rights group is suing the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. According to GeorgiaCarry.org, one of its members was asked to leave the gardens because he was wearing a licensed handgun.
The guns rights group and Phillip Evans of Gwinnett County filed the lawsuit.
Evans would not speak about the suit, but Georgia Carry spokesperson Jerry Henry said Evans was told to leave the gardens for wearing a handgun.
“It’s an infringement of the Second Amendment for them not to allow us to protect ourselves on that property,” said Georgia Carry spokesperson Jerry Henry.
Since July 1, Georgia law allows residents with permits to carry guns into some public places. Georgia Carry said that includes the Botanical Gardens.
“The fact that some criminal may come in here and want to shoot up the place is a danger to everybody and I don't want to be disarmed if that happens,” said Henry.
Botanical Gardens President and CEO, Mary Pat Matheson said they have control over their property.
“We're very disappointed that an individual has brought a lawsuit to our doorstep that’s divisive and seeks to challenge our right to operate the property over which we've been given exclusive control,” said Matheson.
The Botanical Gardens leases all its land from the City of Atlanta, which makes it a public space.
“And therefore the law says they cannot ban firearms from those properties and so that’s our basis of it,” said Henry.
Matheson said for the safety of the Gardens’ visitors, especially young children, it should be exempt.
“Fundamentally we have no problem or challenge to people who own or operate handguns or carry handguns as permitted by law,” said Matheson.
The Botanical Gardens has not yet filed a response to the lawsuit
WSBTV
