Gun group sues San Francisco, Chicago over gun bans

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A day after the Supreme Court struck down a ban on handguns in Washington, D.C., the National Rifle Association gun rights group filed lawsuits on Friday in San Francisco and Chicago against gun bans there.

"The Supreme Court held yesterday that the Second Amendment right is exercised individually and belongs to all Americans," Chris Cox, the NRA's chief lobbyist, said in a statement. "These lawsuits will ensure that state and local governments hear those words."

The San Francisco lawsuit challenges a local ordinance and lease provisions barring possession of handguns by public housing residents.

The Chicago case challenges a handgun ban similar to the Washington, D.C., law struck down by the Supreme Court. The NRA also filed lawsuits challenging gun restrictions in the Chicago suburbs of Evanston, Morton Grove and Oak Park.

"In Washington, D.C., or in any state, whether you live in the housing projects or a high end suburb, you have the right to defend yourself and your family at home," Cox said. "These laws all deny that right."

In its 5-4 decision, the court held that individual Americans have a right to own guns, a finding that struck down a strict gun control law in the nation's capital.

The landmark ruling marked the first time in nearly 70 years the high court addressed the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and rejected the argument that the amendment's right to keep and bear arms is tied to service in a state militia.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said he had expected the decision to open the door for a challenge to his city's gun laws.

"I intend to fight any NRA lawsuit that challenges our common-sense gun laws every step of the way," he said in a statement.

San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera echoed Newsom.

"On the basis of the law as it exists today, I am confident that our local gun control measures are on sound legal footing and will survive legal challenges," Herrera said in a statement.

(Reporting by Jim Christie; Editing by Mary Milliken and Eric Beech)