SAVANNAH, Ga. () — Savannah Mayor Van Johnson issued a statement Tuesday responding to Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr’s brief filed on Monday.

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

Johnson said, “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.” 

Carr’s brief supported a lawsuit filed against Savannah’s firearm regulation ordinance.

Carr said, “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.”