National mass shooting expert weighs in on federal judge’s decision to strike down parts of NYS gun laws

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV)– Governor Kathy Hochul and State Attorney General Letitia James are planning an appeal following a Syracuse Federal judge’s ruling Thursday that halted key parts of the state’s new gun laws. 

Northern District Judge Glenn Suddaby’s decision says the state can’t require a gun applicant to meet with a licensing officer in person, can’t ask for phone numbers of people who live with the person seeking a gun, or ask for social media accounts belonging to the applicant. 

Dr. Jaclyn Schildkraut, a national mass shooting expert from SUNY Oswego weighed in on the federal ruling Thursday saying that social media can play a key role in identifying people’s intentions to commit acts of violence before they do so. 

“We know with the recent case in Buffalo back in May of this year that that particular person was posting his intentions on social media quite frequently, if not daily, so the sort of impetus behind the legislation was to make sure that if someone is actively posing a threat and making that known in public that can be captured before they were to acquire a firearm.”

Dr. Jaclyn Schildkraut, National mass shooting expert SUNY Oswego

The ruling also strikes down the state’s ban on guns in certain sensitive locations including Time Square but the ban will continue in schools, government buildings, and places of worship. 

Dr. Schildkraut said evidence has shown that bringing guns into heavily populated places like Time Square can lead to an increase in bystander casualties. 

As for the case’s potential to make it all the way up to the Supreme Court, she says that remains to be seen.

“I think this certainly could have the potential to go to the Supreme Court the question is going to be whether this poses a big enough constitutional question for them that they would want to take up to set a precedent for across the nation not just here in New York State,” she said.

Judge Suddaby agreed to a three-day stay on his order pending the state’s appeal. If the Court of Appeals doesn’t pick up the case the order will go into effect on Monday.