Secret Service bans guns at GOP convention

The Secret Service has banned guns from the Republican National Convention, effectively putting to rest a petition that had raised over 43,000 signatures calling for open carry in the Quicken Loans Arena. The Cleveland arena's standing policy prohibits firearms inside, although Ohio is an open carry state, The Hill reports.

Secret Service spokesman Robert Hoback settled the matter firmly on Monday, saying "only authorized law enforcement personnel" would be allowed to have firearms at the convention. "Individuals determined to be carrying firearms will not be allowed past a predetermined outer perimeter checkpoint, regardless of whether they possess a ticket to the event," Hoback said.

The popular Change.org petition called Quicken Loans' no-guns policy "a direct affront to the Second Amendment and puts all attendees at risk." Some have wondered if the petition is actually a satire.

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