A New York law that prohibits most civilians from purchasing “bullet-resistant soft body armor” would not have applied to the shooter who killed 10 persons at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store.
The Buffalo shooter on May 14 wore a steel-plated vest during the attack, likely protecting him from a security guard who fired at him in an attempt to protect shoppers.
The state law — swiftly approved in the wake of the shooting — restricts the purchase of soft vests that are light and can be concealed underneath clothing.
Such vests protect against gunshots by pistols, while vests carrying steel, ceramic or polyethylene plates protest against higher-caliber weapons but not included in the new law, according to Fox News, which reported on the legislative mismatch.
Body gear store owners said most people who buy the soft vests are simply scared of being attacked, so taking them away would be counterproductive.
Fox News quoted Democratic Assemblyman Jonathon Jacobson, a lead sponsor, as saying he would “be glad to amend the law to make it even stronger.”
The office of Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said she would “will work with the legislature to expand the definitions in the law at the first available opportunity.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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