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    The 'Gun Dude' and a Supreme Court case that changed who can own firearms in the U.S.

    An individual right to own a gun for personal protection is an idea deeply ingrained in American culture, but until Dick Heller came along, there was little actual legal framework to back that belief.
    by Scott Neuman Aug 14, 2022 5 minutes
    An individual right to own a gun for personal protection is an idea deeply rooted in American culture. But for most of U.S. history, there was little legal framework to support any such interpretation of the Second Amendment. Above, a man aims his pistol at a shooting range in Queens, in New York, in June.

    Dick Heller would like to be known as the "Gun Dude."

    For the self-described octogenarian who still works as a special police officer in the federal prison system, it's a moniker that acknowledges the key role he has played in how the Second Amendment is interpreted today.

    An individual right to own a gun for personal protection is an idea that is deeply rooted in American culture. But for most of U.S. history, there was little actual legal framework to support any such interpretation of the Second Amendment. It wasn't until a relatively recent Supreme Court decision that this all changed.

    Heller was at the center of it. In 2003, he was one of six individuals who sued the District of Columbia over its restrictive gun laws and won. As the case made its way through

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