New York City Mayor Eric Adams, this week, signed a bill into law that will make Times Square a gun-free zone.
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Per the bill, Times Square will be designated a “sensitive location” under the state’s recently enacted “Concealed Carry Improvement Act.”
As such, firearms will be prohibited, even for those law-abiding citizens who have obtained a permit to carry concealed.
“Millions of New Yorkers and tourists flock to Times Square to see Broadway shows, enjoy a good meal, and take photos of the 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,” said Mayor Adams.
“Today, with the signing of Intro. 602, we enshrine into law that Times Square is a gun free zone…” he added.
The “Concealed Carry Improvement Act” (CCIA) is currently under fire after Gun Owners of America filed a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality.
Last week, a district judge issued a temporary restraining order that blocked the following key provisions of the CCIA:
- Requiring businesses to openly state they ALLOW concealed carry
- Disclosing one’s social media accounts for review
- Prohibitions on carrying in most so-called “sensitive places,” including doctor’s offices, Times Square, restaurants and places of entertainment, and on public transportation
- In-person interviews with law enforcement
As noted above, included in that TRO was designating Times Square as a gun-free zone.
This week, however, a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit opted to put a stay on the TRO to give the state more time to make its appeal.
In other words, gun-free zones are once again legal — at least for now.
This was welcome news for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who championed the CCIA in the wake of the Supreme Court’s landmark Bruen decision that struck down the state’s may-issue licensing scheme.
“The interim administrative stay of the district court’s temporary restraining order is an important and appropriate step and affirms that the Concealed Carry Improvement Act will remain in effect during the appeals process,” she said in a statement on Wednesday.
“My top priority will always be to keep New Yorkers safe, and we will continue working with the Office of the Attorney General to defend our gun safety laws,” she added.
No doubt this battle is far from over. Stay tuned for updates.
