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Everytown Exploits Shooting of Health Insurance CEO, Ignores Failure of NYC Gun Laws

AP Photo/ Cheryl Senter

New York City police haven't announced a motive or a suspect in the shooting death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was shot and killed in what authorities believe was a targeted attack outside a Manhattan hotel Wednesday morning, but the lack of information isn't stopping the gun control lobby from trying to exploit his death. 

In a post on X.com, Everytown for Gun Safety noted Thompson's murder, but neglected to mention that none of New York City's extensive gun laws were able to prevent the attack. 

Everytown affiliate Moms Demand Action weighed in with similar commentary, opining that "[p]eople in America should be able to go about their daily lives without the threat of being gunned down." 

So what gun control law would have prevented this attack? It's highly unlikely that the suspect possessed a valid NYC carry permit, after all, and the suppressor appears to have caused issues with the cycling of the pistol, which may be an indication that it was a homebuilt (and illegal) device. 

Again, what law or policy that Everytown supports would stop someone with a plan and malice aforethought from carrying out a homicide? New York imposes licensing requirements for handgun purchases, requires background checks on ammunition sales, and has made many parts of the city a "gun-free zone" despite warnings from the Supreme Court that doing so is a violation of the Second Amendment. 

Thompson's death is indeed senseless and tragic, but neither Everytown nor Moms Demand Action have offered any idea that would have prevented the attack from happening. 

I have no idea if Brian Thompson was licensed to carry a firearm in his home state of Minnesota, but his widow told NBC News that he had recently told her he had received threats from "some people." It stands to reason that Thompson might have wanted to carry a firearm for self-defense, but even if he did possess a Minnesota carry license he wouldn't have been able to lawfully carry a pistol in Manhattan, since New York City doesn't recognize any permits not issued by the NYPD. 

New York City's vaunted gun laws couldn't prevent Thompson's tragic death, but they might very well have prevented him from being able to defend himself. Everytown's shameless attempt to exploit a family's grief and devastation is utterly repugnant and morally bankrupt, and it even goes against the group's messaging playbook, which suggests that when anti-gun activists are commenting on a high-profile shooting they "offer condolences paired with a plan for addressing the problem of gun violence." Neither Everytown nor Moms Demand Action have a plan for addressing a targeted assassination like the one that claimed Thompson's life, but they can't let the opportunity to use his death to further their disarmament agenda pass by.   

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