Guns and Gear

NRA Sues New York After Cuomo Uses Coronavirus Pandemic To Close Gun Stores

(Bennett Raglin/Getty Images)

William Davis Contributor
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The National Rifle Association (NRA) is suing the state of New York after Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo categorized gun shops as non-essential businesses and forced them to close due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“There isn’t a single person who has ever used a gun for self-defense who would consider it nonessential,” NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre said in a statement. “This is clearly another assault by Gov. Cuomo on the NRA, on the rights of New Yorkers to defend themselves and their families, and on our Second Amendment freedoms.”

New York has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the nation, and Cuomo has previously called the NRA an “extremist organization.” (RELATED: Infectious Disease Expert Says Anti-Malaria Drug Marks ‘Beginning Of The End’ Of Pandemic)

Other more liberal states such as California have also shut down gun stores during the pandemic, while red states such as Texas have vowed to protect gun rights. The NRA has pledged to fight the forced closure of gun stores in courts, while President Donald Trump’s administration has designated firearm stores as “critical infrastructure.”

Gun sales skyrocketed last month as Americans rushed to purchase guns and ammunition ahead of shut down orders across the country.