Ellisville Closes 'Open Carry' Loophole

Up until Wednesday’s at Ellisville City Hall, people in the city technically have been allowed to openly carry firearms.

That was the conclusion of Mayor Matt Pirrello and city council members, who agreed without dissent to revise a city ordinance that originally was meant to allow people in Ellisville to carry concealed firearms only.

When the original ordinance was approved several years ago, however, the council inadvertently made Ellisville an “open carry” city thus allowing non-concealed weapons as well, City Attorney Paul Martin said.

“So it was never intended to be that way, but that changed the ordinance, unintentionally, and I’m going to say arguably, permitting open carry in the city.”

An online legal dictionary says a firearm typically is not considered concealed if it is "wholly or substantially visible" either in a belt holster or in a case designed for carrying a firearm or other dangerous weapon.

Martin said Wednesday’s ordinance was in response to a recent incident at a Starbucks in Olivette, where Martin also serves as a city attorney, when a man there entered the coffee shop “with his pistol on his hip.”

“And when it was investigated, the police didn’t feel they could pursue it because of this unfortunate exception,” Martin said. “It wasn’t meant to apply to open carry, but when you look at it, technically, it does.”

The revised Ellisville ordinance takes effect September 16.