New York City is known for its rather stringent gun control laws. This isn’t surprising since the city is ruled by Michael Bloomberg who also heads Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG), an organization dedicated to the abolition of private firearm ownership. While Bloomberg and MAIG constantly parrot about the need for stricter gun control laws, New York City continues to suffer from shootings. Yesterday a man was fatally shot in Central Park:
The shooting happened shortly before 14:00 EST (19:00 GMT), when an unidentified man opened fire at the corner of 58th and 7th Avenue.
The gunman fled by jumping into the passenger seat of a waiting vehicle that drove away, US media reports said.
Officials say the 31-year-old victim was brought to St Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The shooting took place in a busy area of Manhattan not known for shootings or crime.
It happened close to Central Park and high-profile shops, as well as the Time Warner building, home of CNN’s New York studios.
From the facts currently being reported (which are always subject to change) it appears as though the shooting was a hit job. Regardless of the shooter’s motivations this event demonstrates once again that gun control is a futile pursuit. Even with very strict gun control laws New York City suffers from multiple firearms-related homicides at year. To make matters worse getting a carry permit in the city is almost impossible unless you are wealthy or politically well-connected. Restricting access to carry permits lowers the cost of committing violence, which increases the likelihood of violent crime occurring.