Despite the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, firearms will still be allowed outside the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, which begins Monday evening.
Wisconsin state law permits guns in the “soft” security zone, or the outer perimeter, of the downtown Milwaukee convention area, where 50,000 people are expected to gather for the four-day event.
There are some limitations, however. Machine guns, fully automatic firearms, and silencers are prohibited in the outer perimeter, according to Axios. Firearms are also banned inside the convention and in the event’s inner perimeter.
Some city officials attempted to ban guns in the outer zone, but Wisconsin’s open and concealed carry laws prevent cities or towns from making independent gun regulations, Forbes reported.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers requested on Sunday that the U.S. Secret Service ban guns in the outside perimeter following Saturday’s shooting, but his request appears unlikely to succeed, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
U.S. Secret Service spokesperson Alexi Worley stated that the agency does not have control over local gun laws.
Trump stated over the weekend that he did not want to delay the convention despite the assassination attempt. Officials have assured that the city is prepared for the convention and confident it will be safe.
Brian Schimming, the Wisconsin Republican Party chairman, said Sunday that “everything for the convention is going on as planned.” He expressed confidence in the event’s security despite the assassination attempt, as reported by the New York Times.
“We are all praying and thinking about the victims. And we will have a convention very, very focused, moving towards the future of this country with Donald Trump,” he said.