- Title: New York mayor signs legislation designating Times Square a 'gun free zone'
- Date: 11th October 2022
- Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE - AUGUST 31, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN TIMES SQUARE 'GUNS FREE ZONE' SIGNS POSTED AROUND TIMES SQUARE
- Embargoed: 25th October 2022 16:12
- Keywords: 2nd ammendment Eric Adams Guns Times Square gun control
- Location: NEW YORK + BUFFALO, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City: NEW YORK + BUFFALO, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: US
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,United States
- Reuters ID: LVA008150311102022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: New York Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday (October 11) put his signature on a bill prohibiting the concealed carry of handguns in New York’s Times Square.
"This is the heart of our city," said Adams at a press conference in Times Square on Tuesday. "We're going to make sure we create an environment where those who visit this city, such as Times Square, won't have to be paralyzed with the fear of knowing that someone is carrying a gun in this area."
But Adam’s announcement in Times Square is primarily symbolic at this point; New York Chief Judge Glenn Suddaby of the U.S. District Court in Syracuse on Thursday (October 6) temporarily blocked parts of the New York state's new gun law, which came into effect on September 1, to allow the Gun Owners of America, an advocacy group, to pursue a lawsuit challenging the legislation.
New York's law is being closely watched by other states around the country where gun violence is of serious concern. It established new requirements for obtaining a license, including submitting social media accounts for review, and creates a long list of public and private places where having a gun became a felony crime - even for license holders, including Times Square.
The new list of 'sensitive locations' where carrying a gun is a felony is extensive. It includes schools and colleges, government buildings, medical facilities, public transit, bars or restaurants serving alcohol, "the area commonly known as Times Square" and parks.
In late August, the New York City Council drafted a provision that defined the borders of Times Square for the sake of the new state gun law. They carved out 34 city blocks in the heart of Manhattan, applicable only to outdoor areas, forming the basis of what Adams signed on Tuesday.
Chief Judge Suddaby agreed to issue the order at the request of six New York residents who are members of Gun Owners of America, which competes with the National Rifle Association in political influence.
He said his order would not take effect for three days to allow the New York government to appeal his ruling in a higher court.
The order marks one of the most prominent victories by gun-owners' rights groups in challenging gun restrictions around the United States, since June's landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which stated Americans have a constitutional right to carry weapons in public.
New York's legislative leaders and Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, had said they were appalled by the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority. They warned that more people carrying guns in public would lead to more gun violence. Lawmakers in the state's Democratic-controlled legislature had passed the New York State law during an emergency session in July after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision.
Still, they agreed to strip out a provision in the state's law that the Supreme Court said wrongly gave subjective discretion to government officials to deny gun permits to New Yorkers.
The legislation also came in the wake of the May 14th Tops Supermarket shooting in Buffalo, in which 10 people died.
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