A Buffalo resident stated in the immediate aftermath of the mass shooting that left 10 people dead that the state needs to have more people legally conceal carrying handguns to deter would-be shooters.
The shooter, a self-proclaimed white supremacist, used an AR-style rifle to target mostly non-white grocery shoppers in a minority neighborhood of Buffalo. A former police officer who was working as a security guard, Aaron Salter, appears to have been the only other person armed during the shooting. Salter attempted to stop the mass shooter but was killed in the process. The shooter livestreamed his actions, which shows he was attempting to kill as many people as possible.
A witness to the shooting told Fox News it was "ridiculous" Salter was the only person who was armed to stop the shooter at the start of the incident. Salter's actions are credited with saving lives in the shooting.
"This is ridiculous. Something has to change from the bottom to the top. If they are not going to do something, we have to do something. This is ridiculous. After the security guard got shot, he got a gun shooting people still. If more people were armed and knew what they were doing with the gun... I just hope something comes from this," the man said.
The state of New York has more restrictions compared to other states to conceal carry. New York is a "may issue" state, meaning "local law enforcement has discretion in determining whether or not to issue a concealed weapons license to an applicant. An applicant must provide four character references and the reason for the application for a carry license."
New York further does not recognize other states' concealed carry licenses.