RICHMOND, Va. -- Richmond City Council unanimously approved an ordinance intended to restrict firearms at or around certain events in the city.
The ordinance, submitted by Mayor Levar Stoney at the request of Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith, bans firearms at or adjacent to events that require a city permit.
This includes any public street, road, alley, sidewalk, public right-of-way or any open public space. Currently, the code bans firearms in city-owned and operated parks and facilities.
The ordinance does not broadly ban firearms in these public spaces, but it bans them when a permitted event, or an event that should be permitted, is taking place.
Chief Gerald Smith had previously told council members it’s a matter of public safety.
After the passage, Mayor Stoney thanked City Council on Twitter, saying the "ordinance will make our city safer."
Many thanks to #rvacouncil for UNANIMOUSLY passing my proposal to prohibit carrying of firearms at public events and assemblies. Guns and large gatherings don’t mix - this ordinance will make our city safer. https://t.co/nxz2lcWpXh
— Levar M. Stoney (@LevarStoney) September 8, 2020
This ordinance was made possible by a recent amendment by the Virginia General Assembly to the Code of Virginia [law.lis.virginia.gov], which now authorizes localities to prohibit firearms in this instance.
