Democratic New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an emergency order on Friday, September 8, to ban public gun possession in Albuquerque and the neighboring Bernalillo County for at least 30 days in response to recent gun violence in the city.
The governor said she expected the order to face legal challenges but felt compelled to act in reaction to recent gun-related murders. This week, an 11-year-old child was shot and died outside of a minor league baseball stadium.
Lujan Grisham said, "When New Mexicans are afraid to be in crowds, to take their kids to school, to leave a baseball game - when their very right to exist is threatened by the prospect of violence at every turn - something is very wrong."
The Ban Covers Open, Concealed Carry in Most Public Places
According to Fox News, the ban applies to both open and concealed carry in most public locations, with the exception of areas restricted to law enforcement and authorized security personnel. It was issued as an emergency public health order. The Albuquerque metropolitan region is the only one in the country with a high enough rate of violent crime to trigger the ban.
The governor's spokesperson, Caroline Sweeney, stated that violators might be subject to civil penalties and a fine of up to $5,000.
And even while the governor claimed that state police would be implementing the order, she did admit that not all law enforcement authorities, including the district attorney for the Albuquerque region, agreed with it.
In a statement released late Friday, Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen expressed reservations about the decision but said he was willing to work with other officials to reduce gun crime.
Though he recognizes the pressing need, Allen argues that the interim prohibition violates his duty to preserve the Constitution. "I am wary of placing my deputies in positions that could lead to civil liability conflicts, as well as the potential risks posed by prohibiting law-abiding citizens from their constitutional right to self-defense," he added, as reported by AP News.
Order Issued After Slew of Shootings in Albuquerque
Lujan Grisham issued the order after a slew of shootings in Albuquerque, including one on Wednesday, September 6, that killed 11-year-old Froyland Villegas and badly injured a woman. As fans were exiting the stadium, gunfire erupted around the car the two were in.
Galilea Samaniego, 5, was murdered on August 13 when four teenagers in two stolen cars broke into her mobile home while she was sleeping. After being shot in the head, the girl eventually succumbed to her wounds at the hospital.
In a separate case in August, a 14-year-old boy in Taos County shot and killed his 13-year-old friend Amber Archuleta in the boy's house using a rifle that belonged to the boy's father.
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