NYC Mayor Bans Concealed Guns In Times Square Despite Legal Challenges

New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed two bills into law, with one transforming Times Square into a ‘gun-free zone’ following the US Supreme Court decision New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. 

The first bill (Intro 518-A Requires MOCJ and NYPD to Produce Annual Report on Illegal Gun Trafficking Into New York City) allows law enforcement to track data from illegal gun trafficking within the metro area. The second bill (Intro 602-A Designates Boundaries of Times Square as Sensitive Location, in Accordance with New State Regulations Governing Concealed Carry), designates new boundaries where law-abiding citizens cannot carry concealed firearms. One of those places happens to be Times Square.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams signs two GUN LAW bills in Times Square, NYC.

The first of the bills helps to track data from illegal gun trafficking within New York City.

The second bill designates new boundaries of the Times Square Gun Free Zones. pic.twitter.com/8oKFIKXWa8

— LUKE2FREEDOM (@L2FTV) October 11, 2022

Late last week, Judge Glenn Suddaby of the Northern District ruled that several provisions of New York’s gun law, restricting where law-abiding citizens can carry firearms publicly, were trampling their constitutional rights. But on Monday, state Attorney General Letitia James requested a federal appeals court to block the order from overturning the ban. 

Bloomberg said, “James filed a motion with the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals to stay the lower-court decision that found it was unconstitutional to ban firearms from Times Square, public transportation, bars, sports stadiums, and other public places. Such a stay would remain in effect while the state formally appeals the ruling.” 

Stephen Louis, legal counsel at the New York City Law Department, said the “Attorney General has begun the appeal process to the second circuit and until they make some further determination, we will continue to enforce the law.”  

As of Tuesday morning, signs in Times Square read this area is a “Gun Free Zone.” 

Adams’ push to label certain public areas as gun-free zones came after the landmark 6-3 Supreme Court ruling this summer that changed New York from a may-issue state to a shall-issue state. In response to the ruling, anti-gun progressives unleashed sweeping measures to limit where law-abiding citizens couldn’t carry concealed firearms.