Eric Adams signed a bill Tuesday declaring Times Square a gun-free zone. The mayor of New York advanced his anti-Second-Amendment agenda by extending the ban even to those with legal permits.
The legislation restricts the carrying of firearms in numerous places despite a federal judge's ruling in July that New York could not ban them statewide as it had done for decades.
Today I signed two bills that will help us dam the rivers that are feeding the sea of gun violence in our city.
The first will help us track data on illegal gun trafficking while the other enshrines into law that Times Square is a Gun-Free Zone.https://t.co/C4H2zzoDKh pic.twitter.com/QfrQZmJPaT
- Major Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) October 11, 2022
According to Adams, the regulation does not seek to punish legal gun owners, rather try to increase the security in crowded places such as Times Square.
Millions of New Yorkers and tourists flock to Times Square to see Broadway shows, enjoy a good meal and take pictures of neon billboards, and we will not allow them to live in fear or distrust that someone is walking around with a gun ready to harm them.
Just a few days ago, New York State's attempts to ban guns in so-called "sensitive spaces" were declared unconstitutional for violation of the Second Amendment. Places considered "sensitive" include schools, religious temples, theaters, public transportation and densely foot-trafficked areas like the Times Square area. Adams' legislation is still subject to appeals.
Along with this regulation, Adams also signed a City Council bill that will help track illegal gun trafficking data in the city's five boroughs.
