Tennis balls bounced from Cleveland 'event zone' -- but not guns

(CNN)Slingshots, sledgehammers, rockets and ... tennis balls?

The city of Cleveland has explicitly banned at least 72 kinds of weapons, gadgets and assorted hardware from the 1.7 square-mile "event zone" surrounding next week's Republican National Convention.

Not on its extensive list: Guns.

Ohio is an open-carry state, so local officials said they cannot prevent licensed gun owners from carrying their weapons around the external security perimeter.

Police shooting of gun permit holder concerns others who legally carry

The death of 32-year-old Philando Castile appears to mark the first time a Minnesota permit-to-carry holder has been shot by police at least since the current permit law took effect in 2003.

And it raises concerns for some permit holders about their interactions with law enforcement.

Unless an officer asks, it is up to the individual whether they tell an officer they are carrying a gun, said Joseph Olson, who was the leading proponent of Minnesota’s permit-to-carry legislation that took effect in 2003. Olson has taught many permit-to-carry courses.


He said the advice he gives students on dealing with police is: Turn off the radio, roll down the window, turn on the interior lights if it’s nighttime, put your hands on the top of the steering wheel and follow the officer’s instructions.

As the nation's largest and oldest civil rights organization, the NRA proudly supports the right of law-abiding Americans to carry firearms for defense of themselves and others regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation.

The reports from Minnesota are troubling and must be thoroughly investigated. In the meantime, it is important for the NRA not to comment while the investigation is ongoing.

Rest assured, the NRA will have more to say once all the facts are known.