Las Vegas Shooting: Latimer, Advocates Renew Push to Ban Gun Shows on County Property

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — In response to the mass shooting in Las Vegas and recent reports that the Westchester County Center may again host a controversial gun show in the coming year, state Senator George Latimer joined supporters and gun control advocates to renew calls on County Executive Rob Astorino to sign legislation banning the shows on county property.

SEE: VIDEO: Las Vegas Gunman Had 23 Firearms At Hotel, 19 More At Home

Astorino vetoed a law passed by the County Legislature in January that would have banned gun shows on county property. He said the gun show had satisfied all requirements for legally and safely operating. And, he pointed out, it “has historically been one of the best run and most well-attended events held” at the County Center.

Latimer, who is running against Astorino as the Democratic nominee for County Executive, stood Tuesday with elected officials, supporters and gun control advocates at a press conference on the steps of the Westchester County Center in White Plains, among them County Legislator Catherine Parker, County Legislature candidate Nancy Barr, New Castle Town Supervisor candidate Kirsten Browde, County Legislature candidate Ruth Walter and Moms Demand Action head Nicole Lesser.

They talked about the mass shooting that massacred 59 concertgoers and left another 500-plus injured under the glitz of the Las Vegas Strip.

Everyone grieves for those who died and is grateful for the first responders, he said. "But all the prayers after the fact don't take away from the fact that there are things that could be done. A man stocked a hotel room with semi-assault weapons that he made into assault weapons for the single purpose of raining death down from the 32nd floor."

The only way to have stopped Stephen Paddock is if he didn't have access to those weapons, Latimer said.

Nor is the usual gun-advocate argument helpful here. Nevada is an open-carry state, he pointed out. "I don't doubt many in the crowd were carrying Sunday night," he said.

"I believe that the Second Amendment allows you to own a weapon," he said. But the carnage will only stop when the people decide that some weapons are too dangerous to be in private hands.

"It's very common sense reality, when you see what happened on Sunday night," he said. "Does a prudent person say, this is clearly a crisis in America. This is a time when innocent people could be snuffed out at a park, traveling to work, any shopping center."

Some people hold the position that that we should not intercept a person from owning any guns of any kind, he acknowledged. "The people who don't hold that position need to vote...they need to say, 'I need to protect my family, my kids, myself.'"

Latimer said county officials were right to end gun shows in Westchester in 1999 and wrong to start them back up. The gun show glorifies an out-of-control gun culture.

"Trust me there's other profitable businesses out there, we'll find something else to fill that weekend," he said.

"You have a choice in November," he said. "If you want to vote for Rob Astorino, his position on guns is that the SAFE Act goes and the gun show stays. My position is that the gun show goes and the SAFE Act stays."

Latimer also warned about the current fight about assault weapons going on in Albany. It would lift the SAFE Act restrictions from the Hudson Valley.

SEE ALSO:

• Astorino Vetoes Gun-Show Ban at County-Owned Property
• Pro-Nazi Literature, Confederate Flags Sold at Gun Show: Lawmakers
  

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