Georgia AG files brief for lawsuit against Savannah over gun restrictions, Mayor responds

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - [UPDATE 11:02 a.m. 8/5/2025] Savannah Mayor Van Johnson has provided a statement to WTOC concerning the support Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has shown for a lawsuit against the City of Savannah regarding a 2024 gun ordinance which requires people to lock up their weapons when storing them in a car.

“The Attorney General has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of interest in helping cities like Savannah address the deadly impact of illegal and stolen firearms,” Johnson said.

Rather than using his constitutional authority to assist in protecting our communities, he has chosen instead to take adversarial positions against the very citizens he is sworn to defend. In Savannah, we believe it is not only possible, but necessary, to protect the Second Amendment and second graders and teenagers. Public safety is not political; it is a shared responsibility. We look forward to presenting our case in court and to standing firmly for the safety and wellbeing of all Savannah residents.

Savannah Mayor Van R. Johnson II

In a recent press release, AG Carr called the gun ordinance an “illegal attempt to restrict the rights of law-abiding gun owners.”

More information on the lawsuit against the City of Savannah is included in our original article and previous coverage below.

[ORIGINAL STORY] Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has taken action to support a new lawsuit challenging the City of Savannah’s “illegal attempt to restrict the rights of law-abiding gun owners,” according to a press release from the AG’s office.

The ordinance AG Carr is referencing was passed by Savannah City Council in April 2024 and requires gun owners to lock up their weapons when storing them in a car.

This misguided attempt to punish law-abiding Georgians does absolutely nothing to address crime, and it won’t hold up in Court.

No matter how much the Mayor disagrees with our laws, he cannot openly infringe on the Second Amendment rights of our citizens. Progressive politics aren’t a defense for government overreach.

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr

In May 2024, AG Carr called Savannah’s gun ordinance “void” and said they “directly conflict with, and are preempted by, state law.”

In addition, Savannah’s gun ordinance calls on people to report their weapon has been stolen within 24 hours of knowing that it’s missing.

In 2024, Mayor Van Johnson said the city will continue to enforce the ordinance.

“Sue us. We’ll go to the Supreme Court and let the United States Supreme Court say,” said Mayor Johnson in 2024. “The gun ordinance doesn’t go anywhere. So, sorry.”

The August 4, 2025 press release from Carr’s office sates that “despite Carr’s recommendation that the City take immediate action to rescind the approval of the flawed ordinances – warning of potential civil liability – the City refused to do so. The lawsuit in which Carr has now filed a brief soon followed."