On Friday, March 29, a man was robbed at gunpoint in a “gun-free” zone at the New Brunswick Train Station, in New Jersey.
According to the Rutgers University Police Department, a man affiliated with Rutgers (read to mean a university student, or staff or faculty member) was held up at gunpoint around 12:30 a.m. by two men who demanded his valuables, one of whom pointed a gun at the victim.
After complying with the robbers, they left on foot and the victim had no further interactions with them. Police so far have no leads on identifying the criminals.
Public transportation hubs, such as the New Brunswick Train Station, are one of the prohibited areas for lawful concealed carry permit holders, or put another way, a “gun-free” zone. These areas were spelled out in New Jersey’s Bruen-response bill, signed into law December of 2022. This “carry-killer” law is currently being challenged in court.
This robbery proves yet again that criminals don’t obey laws, and such laws leave the law-abiding as potential (or in this case, actual) victims.
It’s telling that in the reporting of this story there were numerous admonitions to people about safety, including using police escort services, but none of them included reminding people they have the lawful right to self-defense in a potential deadly force encounter. This statement from the Rutgers University Police is one such communication:
Rutgers University Police have reminded students, faculty, and staff that they can reduce their chances of being a victim of a crime by taking reasonable precautions including immediately reporting suspicious activity to local law enforcement, remaining alert and aware of the people and circumstances around them, avoiding isolated or dark areas, and walking in groups when traveling during late-night hours.
Sadly, universities are also “gun-free zones” prohibited under New Jersey law.
New Jersey’s laws continue to put the law abiding at risk while emboldening criminals to confront them when they are most vulnerable.
To learn how to get your concealed carry permit in New Jersey, click here.
