In a U.S. town, it is mandatory for residents to possess firearms and ammunition.

In Kennesaw, Georgia, it's mandatory to possess a firearm.

The requirement for residents to own guns and ammo in the city is a law that has been in effect since the 1980s.

The Kennesaw gun law mandates that every household head in the city must possess a firearm and ammunition for the safety and well-being of the residents, except for those with mental or physical disabilities, felony convictions, or conflicting religious beliefs.

"Derek Easterling, the town's mayor, stated to BBC News that it's not like people wear it on their hip like in the Wild Wild West. He added that they won't be knocking on doors to check for weapons."

According to the mayor and other local officials, no prosecutions or arrests have been made for violating the 1982 law.

The law is a source of pride for some and embarrassment for others. Despite this, most residents told BBC that the law keeps citizens safe as there were no murders in town in 2023, according to Kennesaw Police Department data. However, there were two suicides, involving guns.

Customers at a local pizza joint argued that if anything, criminals should be concerned because if they break into your home and you're there, they don't know what you have.

"The reason for low gun crimes in Kennesaw is not the guns themselves, but rather the attitude of the people who possess them, as stated by Blake Weatherby, a groundskeeper at the Kennesaw First Baptist Church, to the BBC. Regardless of the weapon used, the community prioritizes self-defense and the safety of their neighbors."

Now, Weatherby no longer owns any guns, contrary to his previous statement that he owned over 20 of them.

Kennesaw's city council member Pat Ferris, who was elected in 1984, stated that the gun law was more of a political statement than anything else. He also expressed uncertainty about how many people are aware of the ordinance's existence.

Kennesaw, Georgia, became the first city in the U.S. to require gun ownership, while Morton Grove, Illinois, was the first to ban it. At least four other cities in the U.S. have enacted similar laws, including Gun Barrel City, Texas; Virgin, Utah; Nelson, Georgia, and Nucla, Colorado.

Madelyn Orochena, a city council member, characterized the law as an unusual detail about our community.

She told the BBC that residents would either roll their eyes in embarrassment or laugh about it.