Lawmakers express concern Supreme Court's concealed carry decision may fuel shootings
NEW YORK - Mayor Eric Adams, along with many other lawmakers, fear the recent Supreme Court ruling on guns in New York will have far-reaching implications.
CBS2's Dick Brennan tells us how increasing violence is only fueling concerns.
"This keeps me up at night," Adams said.
With continued gun violence shaking New York City to its core, the ruling last week from the Supreme Court ending restrictions on concealed carry permits is also troubling many lawmakers
"We don't need more guns on the street. We're already dealing with a major gun violence crisis. We don't need to add more fuel to this fire," said Gov. Kathy Hochul.
But Justice Clarence Thomas, in writing the 6-3 majority opinion, states the new law of this land: "New York's proper cause requirement violates the fourteenth amendment, in that it prevents law abiding citizens with ordinary self-defense needs from exercising their right to keep and bear arms."
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This overturns a century-old state law requiring pistol permit applicants prove they faced "special or unique danger" and had "proper cause" to get a carry permit. Still, officials caution this isn't a light switch being thrown for sidearms permitted on every hip, adding implementation could be a year, even two, away.
"You have a premise permit, it does not automatically convert to a carry permit. If you carry a gun illegally in New York City, you will be arrested," Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said.
By the numbers, right now:
- 1,700 have the right to carry when they leave home
- 1,400 have permits from other counties, with New York endorsements to carry in the five boroughs
- More than 16,000 have premise permits
It's not clear how many of those permits will be transferred to concealed carry under the new law.
Officials are also focusing on the language in the ruling that will allow them to limit the places that people can carry guns, so-called sensitive places such as public transit, stadiums and theaters. They're also and looking at the possibility of training before a new permit is issued.
The usually progressive Legal Aid Society came down in favor of the new ruling, saying it embodied "arbitrary licensing standards that have inhibited lawful Black and Brown gun ownership in New York."
Others caution the former tighter restrictions have limited at least the legal guns out on the street
"The NYPD has always been quite careful about who they give permission to carry guns and that has kept the number of people carrying guns lawfully way down," said Richard Aborn, president of the Citizens Crime Commission.
