‘A wild, wild west free for all’ House bill would allow guns on MetroLink in Missouri

By Jon Kipper

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    ST. LOUIS, Missouri (KMOV) — The Missouri House of Representatives is expected to soon debate a bill allowing for firearms on public transportation, allowing concealed carry holders to bring a gun on to MetroLink, or any public transportation, for self-defense.

On the other side of the river in Illinois, prosecutors are asking the State Supreme Court to throw out a law banning residents from buying semi-automatic weapons.

MetroLink stops often have unarmed security guards working to protect riders but strictly ban any rider from bringing a gun onto the bus or train.

A bill working through the Missouri House would change that. Some metro riders here aren’t convinced.

“It’s going to be a wild, wild west free for all,” said Mike Moultrie, a MetroLink rider.

Moultrie is skeptical of allowing guns on the MetroLink. He knows it could help a law-abiding citizen but worries it could lead to more violence.

“We already got violence that’s happening on the MetroLink from kids 16 to 24, and so many guns that’s illegal to be on these streets,” said Moultrie.

The bill from St. Charles Rep Adam Schnelting allows those with concealed carry permits to bring a firearm onto MetroLink, whether it’s concealed or not.

Last year, a man, Manu Barge, was shot and killed on a MetroLink train outside Forest Park.

In a hearing last month, Schnelting said people are already bringing guns on transit, but those people are typically bonafide criminals.

“It’s about protecting the right of you as a passenger to be able to defend yourself, should you find yourself in that situation,” said Schnelting.

Gun rights activist Susan Meyers, the Missouri Chair for the DC Project, testified in favor of the bill.

She told News 4 that she believes gun-free zones should not exist except for a few minor exceptions.

“Cut down on those places to be a target for criminals. They’ll have to stop and think about it a little harder,” said Meyers.

Across the river in Illinois, county prosecutors are trying to stop a gun control bill that banned new purchases of semiautomatic rifles.

The case will be held by the Illinois Supreme Court.

It’s led by Tom Haine, State’s Attorney in Madison County, who said the legal case stems on ‘common use.’ Madison County is joined by 32 other Illinois counties, and they released an Amici Curiae brief on Monday.

“Is whether these kinds of weapons, assault rifles, assault weapons, are in common use in the United States today. And they undoubtedly are,” said Haine.

Haine pointed to FBI stats that show out of over 10,000 firearm homicides in 2019, less than 400 came from rifles of any type. He said the state should focus on getting handguns out of the hands of criminals.

“When you’re trying to reduce gun violence, you need to focus on the kinds of weapons that are producing gun violence,” said Haine.

Haine told News 4 he expects the case to be held in federal court as well.

MetroLink incidents increased over 10% from 2021 to last year at 660 incidents, but half of those were initiated by police.

Moultrie believes guns on the Metro could convince people to find another option.

“Probably going to cost MetroLink more money because we got a lot of people apprehensive about riding on the trains because they’re going to be with the threat of violence,” said Moultrie.

This guns on public transportation bill has passed the Missouri House in the past but failed in the State Senate.

The current version of the bill also changes the age to get a conceal carry permit from 19 years old to 18 years old.

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