Jeanine Pirro, the former Fox News host who currently runs the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., will no longer pursue felony charges against registered gun owners who carry firearms in the nation’s capital, according to a memo seen by the Washington Post.
The new policy, crafted from guidance sent by the Justice Department, means that anyone who has a firearm permit and a registered rifle or shotgun in D.C. may concealed carry.
Previously, the gun law in D.C. prohibited people from carrying those types of firearms except in narrow circumstances. Registered pistol owners have long been permitted to conceal carry.
Pirro told the Post that the change aligns with recent Supreme Court rulings, which struck down several local laws that sought to restrict firearms in crowded areas such as New York City or D.C.
But it also arrives as Pirro’s office, in collaboration with local and federal law enforcement, is attempting to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital at the behest of President Donald Trump, who alleges crime is rampant in D.C.
“Without question, President Donald Trump and I are committed to prosecuting gun crime,” Pirro said in a statement to the Post. “This unprecedented number of gun case prosecutions in both federal and local court is only done consistent with the constitution and the laws of the land.”
While homicides in D.C. hit a two-decade high in 2023, violent crime has significantly declined since then, according to data collected by the Metropolitan Police Department in D.C. Despite the evidence of dwindling crime, Trump continues to claim the city is dangerous and alleges police manipulated numbers to make it appear safer.
In 2023, authorities recovered approximately 98 rifles and 38 shotguns in D.C., according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Recovery of firearms does not mean they were used in crimes.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Tuesday that the federal government’s de facto takeover of D.C. to crack down on crime has led to approximately 68 guns being seized. She did not specify what type of guns were most seized.
Yet, despite deploying federal law enforcement from various agencies, including the ATF, in part, to get illegal guns off the street, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is now loosening some gun laws.
Pirro told the Post that the new guidance does not prevent her office from pursuing unlawful gun possession charges against those who are not permitted to have a firearm, such as a person convicted of a felony. But it does preclude bringing charges of possession of a registered rifle or shotgun.
Prosecutors have used the D.C. laws under review to charge defendants in high-profile cases, such as a 2019 shotgun attack on Northeast Washington and the “Pizzagate” shooter, according to the Post.
The Independent has asked the U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C. for comment.
