A St. Louis Circuit Court judge has extended a temporary order barring visitors to the St. Louis Zoo from bringing firearms onto the premises. According to reporting by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, an order banning a Cincinnati man or anyone acting with him from concealing or openly carrying guns inside the zoo “until further order of the court” was filed Friday by Judge Joan Moriarty.
This latest order is a continuation of a temporary ban issued last June after Ohio gun rights activist Jeffry Smith announced plans to lead a group of armed protesters into the zoo to challenge its policy prohibiting guns. The zoo wants to the gun ban to be made permanent and released a statement Monday stating that it was pleased with the judge’s order and “will continue its current policy of prohibiting weapons from being carried by visitors onto its premises.”