Mississippi Open Carry Gun Law Raises Questions

A new law allowing Mississippi residents to openly carry firearms without a permit is causing confusion among the state's law enforcement officers.

On Wednesday, they will receive instructions from the state attorney general's office on how the Open Carry Law will affect their jobs and how to deal with citizens carrying guns at their sides, reports The Meridian Star.

"The new law will result in quite a few calls from the general public as they notice more guns being carried out in the open," Ward Calhoun, chief deputy of the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department, told the newspaper. "But for the purpose of this session, it is all about the effect the law will have on us as law enforcement personnel."

Apparent confusion over Mississippi's concealed weapons carry laws prompted lawmakers to address the issue in the first place; it was not clear whether a person carrying a concealed weapon was in violation of the law if the gun was accidentally exposed.

The new law, which takes effect July 1, states that a gun can be partially exposed if it is in a proper holster and can be carried openly without a permit.

Guns are prohibited, however, at schools, community colleges and universities, and  property owners have the right to  prevent people from bringing guns onto their property.