The Supreme Court has received a new petition to consider a Second Amendment case, which could significantly expand its busy docket.
This case, known as Viramontes v. Cook County, questions a ban on modern semiautomatic firearms. The Court has already agreed to hear it on June 30, while other cases are set for discussion at the conference on September 28. One of these is Christian v. James, where the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) is urging the justices to review a ruling that upheld New York’s prohibition on carrying firearms in parks. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: GOP Rep Has National Park Gun Ban In His Crosshairs)
In its petition for a writ of certiorari, SAF claims that when applying the Court’s established framework, it’s evident that there is no historical justification for banning the lawful possession of firearms in public parks.
SAF and its partners have filed a petition for a writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking review in Christian v. James, a case challenging New York’s sweeping “sensitive places” firearms carry ban.
SAF has already secured two victories in the case, with the federal… pic.twitter.com/RexvGmH0Cn
— SAF (@2AFDN) September 17, 2026
According to a decision made in May, Judges Eunice Lee, Joseph Bianco, and Steven Menashi of the U.S. Circuit Court recognized that the state’s “vampire rule” infringes upon the Second Amendment. While Lee, who was appointed by Biden, and Bianco, appointed by Trump, upheld the ban on carrying firearms in parks, Menashi, also a Trump appointee, issued a separate opinion stating that the park ban is unconstitutional.
The issue of crime in city parks has been a concern, particularly as New York City even has a dedicated NYPD precinct for Central Park. Recent CompStat statistics indicated that year-to-date, there were 75 major crimes recorded, up from 59 during the same period in 2025. This increase was mainly attributed to higher incidents of rape, robbery, and grand larceny, despite reductions in felony assaults and burglaries, and thankfully, no shootings or murders reported.
For the year 2025, there were 85 major crimes reported, a small number compared to the numerous offenses seen in the early 1990s. Robberies and some assaults did rise in 2024, which resulted in increased patrols, but generally, crime in the park decreased in 2025 compared to the previous year, even as certain categories of violent and sexual offenses went up, according to the New York Post.
But, of course, crime isn’t the only safety concern in parks. Incidents involving animal attacks have also been reported in various parks nationwide. For instance, at Yellowstone National Park, several visitors were attacked by bison, including one alarming case where a 65-year-old grandfather was thrown several feet in the air, resulting in serious injuries.
