Federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., will no longer pursue felony charges for individuals caught with rifles or shotguns in the capital, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced.
The policy shift means prosecutors will not seek charges under D.C.’s law banning the carrying of rifles or shotguns, except in limited cases involving permit holders.
According to Pirro, charges will still be filed when a shotgun or rifle is used in a violent crime or when a defendant has a prior criminal record that bars them from owning a firearm. The updated approach also applies to large-capacity magazines, though handguns are not included in the change.
Local prosecutors, however, can still move forward with cases involving unregistered rifles or shotguns.
Pirro, formerly a Fox News host, explained that the new guidelines follow direction from the Justice Department and the Office of the Solicitor General. She said the change also reflects two major Supreme Court rulings that strengthened gun rights.
In particular, Pirro pointed to the Court’s 2022 decision striking down New York’s restrictions on carrying firearms in public, as well as its 2008 ruling that invalidated D.C.’s ban on handguns in the home.
The policy shift comes as President Donald Trump expands the role of federal law enforcement in the city to combat rising crime. Hundreds of federal agents and National Guard troops have been stationed across Washington, and the White House reported that 76 firearms have been confiscated since the federal initiative began earlier this month.
“In line with President Trump’s directive to make D.C. safe, U.S. Attorney Pirro has made it clear that the old way of doing things is unacceptable,” Pirro’s spokesman Tim Lauer said in a statement. “She directed her staff to charge the highest crime that is supported by the law and the evidence.”
Pirro, who has long criticized local leaders’ approach to crime, said her office will continue seizing illegal firearms and aggressively prosecuting crimes tied to them. She emphasized that she and President Trump remain “committed to prosecuting gun crime.”
According to data released in December under previous leadership, violent crime in Washington fell 35% from 2023 to 2024, dropping from 5,215 incidents to 3,388.
