“Gun Free Zone” Signs Placed in Times Square in New York

“Gun Free Zone” signs up in Times Square in New York, recently placed following the designation of the area as a “sensitive location” under a law signed by Governor Hochul last summer following the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision.

The law makes it a Class E felony to possess a firearm in a “sensitive location”, which includes government buildings, places of worship, public parks, Times Square and more.

The law was swiftly passed following the landmark 2022 Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, where a NY law on concealed pistol licenses was found unconstitutional. The ruling has since been cited in several cases across the U.S. challenging gun control laws.

State and local government officials have since worked to craft new requirements and restrictions on firearm possession. New York’s revised Concealed Carry Improvement Act, signed by Hochul on July 1st, 2022, includes language criminalizing possession in places including Times Square. It also states who this section of the law does not apply to, including current and retired police officers and active-duty military personnel.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams signed into law defined boundaries of Times Square in October 2022, identifying where that portion of the state law on criminal firearm possession applies.