Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down New York’s concealed carry law, which required showing a special need for self-protection to obtain a permit to carry a gun in public. In response, Nick Wilson, senior director for Gun Violence Prevention at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
This ruling threatens the safety of all Americans by overturning a commonsense law designed to prevent gun violence. Mass shootings such as those in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, are out of control in this country. Yet this extreme right-wing majority continues to parrot the selfish views of the gun lobby instead of allowing reasonable restrictions on guns that protect public safety.
Studies have shown that carrying guns in public is linked to higher rates of violence. The Second Amendment allows states to consider the serious problems posed by gun violence when they pass regulations. New York has some of the strongest gun laws and, as a result, has some of the lowest rates of gun violence in the nation.
This ruling could lead the Supreme Court to go even further and strike down other fundamental laws that have kept New York and other states safe, such as background checks during private sales.
It’s time to end this chaos.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected] or 240-899-9436.