SCOTUS Gun Ruling Could Turn NYC Into 'Wild, Wild West,' Mayor Warns

NEW YORK, NY — The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn strict gun carrying laws in New York could turn the already-violent streets of New York City into the "wild, wild west," according to Mayor Eric Adams.

Adams — who has struggled to tamp down surging gun violence since taking office — contended Thursday that an increase in guns caused by the ruling will put New Yorkers more at risk of gun violence.

The 6-3 decision ruled that the state's extensive review process to carry a gun outside the home violates the Second Amendment.

"Based on this ruling, the mere fact you want a gun ... you have the opportunity to get that gun," Adams said. "That can increase the number of firearms in our city at a level that has not been witnessed since the wild, wild west."

Thursday's decision comes after months of preparation from Adams' administration for the potential ruling, which was largely expected ever since the majority-conservative court heard arguments in November, with most justices appearing skeptical of the state's century-old law.

The mayor said Thursday his legal team will evaluate all options for curbing the impact of the law, including reviewing the city's firearm permit application process and what areas can be deemed "sensitive locations" where guns are still allowed to be banned.

Still, the mayor said the ruling rates "very close to a 10" on the city's scale of safety concerns.

He pointed Thursday to traffic incidents, disputes on the subway and other encounters in the densely populated Big Apple that could escalate should more guns be allowed.

"It is those types of encounters [where] a bad moment can turn into a bad shooting, and create a bad outcome," he said. "There is no place in the nation that this decision affects as much as New York City."

Adams and NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell warned that the ruling doesn't change the fact that New Yorkers will still need a permit to carry a gun.

"Nothing changes today — if you carry a gun illegally in New York City you will be arrested," Sewell said.

Under the struck-down law, New York has only issued 54,000 carry permits in 2018 and 2019.

The extensive review process requires anyone seeking to carry a gun outside the home to prove they have some extra need to do so — for example, working as a security guard, as THE CITY reported this month.

New York is one of just seven states that impose such limits on handgun carrying permits, THE CITY reported.

Liberal justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan all dissented from the court's ruling on Thursday.

A concurring opinion by Justice Brett Kavanaugh may limit the scope of the Supreme Court decision, saying that 43 states with modest restrictions on gun licenses can keep their laws in place.

Read More:

• New York Gun Law Overturned By U.S. Supreme Court In Major Ruling