NYC Mayor Eric Adams (D) responds to claims that legalizing guns would make the city safer: "Dumb."

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During a press conference on Friday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams called the idea of people legally carrying guns in New York to make the City safer “dumb.” A reporter pointed out that pro-gun advocates take the position that since New York has a lot of criminals, it makes sense for people to have legal guns for a safer environment.

“I mean, this is not Jesse James and the Sundance Kid, who can draw the fastest,” Adams said. "For those who are stating that if all the bad guys have guns, let's equal it out by having all the good guys have guns. That is just so dumb," Adams reiterated.

Prior to the pandemic, gun violence in New York City dipped to historic lows. However, during 2020, there were 1,531 shooting incidents, a 97% increase from 2019. In the first quarter of 2022, the New York Times reported that the City had 296 shootings compared to 260 during the same period the year prior.

New Yorkers have especially been on edge about gun violence since the mass shooting in the New York City subway in April. Ten people were shot in the attack.