Mary Pintea – News Editor 

mvp5879@psu.edu 

Photo Credit: The Philadelphia Inquirer / Jose F. Moreno 

A Philadelphia judge blocked an executive order signed by Mayor Jim Kenney last week banning guns at playgrounds and recreation centers. 

The executive order follows the fatal shooting of a Parks and Recreation employee in September. 

The Gun Owners of America filed a lawsuit last Tuesday–the same day Kenney signed his order—on behalf of several state residents. Judge Joshua H. Roberts issued a ruling against Kenney’s ban, ordering Philadelphia to be permanently enjoined from its enforcement. 

The lawsuit cited that cities and counties in Pennsylvania cannot pass gun control measures. The city has sought to overturn the preemption law, which prohibits local governments from passing gun-control legislation that is stricter than state gun laws in Pennsylvania. 

Andrew B. Austin, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, stated in an email to news outlet the Philadelphia Inquirer: “It is unfortunate that the mayor and city are willing to waste their time and taxpayer money on these types of ‘feel-good’ measures. This was nothing more than a press release and would not have—in any way—addressed the crisis of crime in our city.”

A spokesperson for Kenney has expressed disappointment on the ruling, citing that the ruling does not favor the safety of city employees. 

Since 2019, an approximate 300 reported incidents of gun violence have occurred at Philadelphia’s recreation facilities, in addition to dozens of other weapon-related incidents in the city. 

In 1996, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the state legislature has the authority to preempt local gun-control laws, but that has not stopped Philadelphia from repeatedly challenging the laws. Kenney, amongst others, has pointed to the state preemption law as a barrier to reducing gun violence across the state. 

It is not only employees that are finding Philadelphia gun laws troubling. On March 16, 2021, three individuals died and another six were injured after two separate shootings at a Philadelphia recreation center. Among deceased victims was Kyrie Simmons, a 16-year-old student. Since then, the recreation center, Christy Rec Center, has taken action to make the space safer for visitors. Philadelphia council member Jamie Gauthier has said that taking the step to ban guns from the center will better improve safety.