It used to be that in New Jersey, hardly anyone could get a concealed carry permit but those that possessed one could carry almost anywhere in the state. Anti-gun lawmakers flipped that script after the Bruen decision, and while the number of licensed concealed carry holders has soared, huge swathes of the state are now off-limits to lawful carry.
That includes public libraries, which, according to a three-judge panel on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, "hold a place of special solicitude in this regulatory tradition." The panel upheld the statute barring lawful concealed carry in libraries, and though the Third Circuit has taken the Koons and Siegel cases en banc, with oral arguments held in February, for now the prohibition remains in place.
Not that violent criminals are concerned about these legal niceties. Two men, neither of them old enough to obtain a New Jersey carry permit, are currently facing charges for shooting a man in the Freehold, New Jersey public library despite the building's status as a "gun-free zone."
Details of the brazen shooting at the library on East Main Street on the afternoon of April 30 were revealed in an affidavit of probable cause to charge one man with attempted murder and a second man with possessing the gun that was used to shoot the victim.
The police documents revealed mayhem at the library after a 911 call at 4:21 p.m. summoned officers there.
The 911 caller reported hearing loud bangs believed to be gunshots, the affidavit said.
Borough police immediately responded to the library, entering through the back door and coming upon a witness who told them a man had been shot, according to the affidavit.
The officers found a man near the front door, bleeding from the head, the document said.
They also found people hiding throughout the building, it said. Children were present during the shooting and were placed at risk, the affidavit said.
"One witness indicated that he saw the victim running inside the library, with two people chasing behind him before he heard a gunshot," the affidavit said.
The victim was taken to a local hospital and placed in a medically-induced coma. According to authorities, he was a stranger to one of the suspects and an acquaintance of the other, though authorities still haven't said what motivated the shooting.
19-year-old Kanye P. Faucette faces charges of attempted murder, unlawful possession of a handgun and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, while 20-year-old Heaven Holmes has been charged with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon.
Not only was it against the law for Faucette and Holmes to bring a gun inside the library, it was illegal for either of them to carry a handgun anywhere in the state of New Jersey because of their age (and lack of a carry permit). Neither of them are old enough to legally purchase a handgun under state and federal law, so this was a failure of multiple gun control laws in the Garden State.
This case appears to be a targeted shooting, but what would have happened if these two ran into the same library intent on murdering as many patrons as possible? They would have been with no armed resistance until police showed up minutes later, and they could have done unspeakable harm until good guys with guns were on the scene.
If posting a sign that said "No Guns Allowed" actually prevented violent individuals from carrying illegally-obtained guns into those locations, the anti-gunners might have a point. Clearly, though, that's not the case. Someone willing to commit murder isn't going to be stopped because they might face a charge of illegal gun possession if they're caught carrying in a "sensitive place", and the Freehold Library is sensitive in name only. There are no armed guards at the door. No metal detectors. They don't even have the Library Police on hand.
The vast majority of "gun free zones" operate on the honor system, and you know what they say about honor among thieves. Well, I'd say the same is true for gang members, drug dealers, and idiots who are willing to commit cold-blooded murder over stupid beefs.
The vast majority of violent criminals are simply unconcerned about the consequences of ignoring the laws surrounding concealed carry. A "gun-free zone," especially one that doesn't have any real security, is an open invitation for criminals; a target-rich environment that almost guarantees their victims will be unable to shoot back. Here's hoping the Third Circuit will soon overturn New Jersey's "sensitive places" laws and allow people to defend themselves and others when perusing the new releases and dusty old books at their local library, along with the plethora of other publicly accessible places currently off-limits to lawful carry.
