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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 29 sepTember 2022
Hold fire: Re-enactors fear being targeted by N.Y. gun law

By MICHAEL HILL historic site in the Mohawk
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Some Valley.
historical battle re-enactors “The reason why we can-
in New York are holding celed it was for fear of
their musket fire because of exposing the people that
worries over the state’s new we invited to the event to
gun rules — an unplanned prosecution for commit-
side effect of a law de- ting a felony,” said Robert
signed to protect the pub- Metzger, a re-enactor who
lic’s safety. chairs the board of Fort
The law that went into ef- Klock Historic Restoration.
fect this month declares Metzger said he realizes lo-
parks, government prop- cal sheriff’s deputies have
erty and a long list of other “a lot better things to do
“sensitive” places off lim- than to harass 70-year-old
its to guns. The rules were men with flintlocks,” but
geared more for semiauto- there was a chance some-
matic pistols than flintlock one could complain. And
weapons, but re-enactors the not-for-profit group
who fear being arrested if did not want to take the
they publicly re-stage bat- chance of losing its state
tles from the colonial era to charter.
the Civil War are staying off He added that re-enactors
the field. from Canada were reluc-
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s admin- tant to come down for the
istration insists that historical Re-enactors portraying members of the American forces during the Revolutionary War fire their event.
battle re-enactments are rifles during a re-enactment celebrating the 225th anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn, Aug. 18, Hochul’s press office, in a
still OK, and some have still 2001. Associated Press prepared statement, said
taken place this month. historical re-enactments
But persistent skepticism able transporting muskets New York’s requirement carried. Some re-enactors can continue under the
among event organizers or bringing muskets to the that people must demon- looking at the letter of the law “and there should be
and participants has re- site,” said Harold Nichol- strate an unusual threat to law have concluded the no concern otherwise.”
sulted in some cancella- son, a re-enactor involved their safety to qualify for a old-style weapons they use “We will work with legislators
tions, like an 18th century in the event at Rogers Is- license to carry a handgun could place them in the and local law enforcement
encampment and battle land. “And so at that point, outside their homes. crosshairs of the new rules. to ensure these events can
re-enactment planned for we decided that it was Hochul and her fellow Among the canceled proceed as they have for
last weekend north of Sara- probably best not to (go Democrats in control of the events: two Civil War re- centuries,” the administra-
toga Springs. ahead).” state Legislature respond- enactments in upstate tion said. “In the meantime,
“We’ve been getting re- The consternation stems ed with a law that set strict New York this month and individuals who have law-
ports from units that were from a law quickly ap- new licensing criteria and a Revolutionary War raid fully participated in reen-
supposed to attend that proved after the U.S. Su- limited where handguns, that was to be staged this actments should continue
they don’t feel comfort- preme Court invalidated shotguns and rifles can be weekend at the Fort Klock to do so.”q

Inmate serving life for fatal Vegas bombing escapes prison

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Authori- Corrections statement said prosecutors identified as
ties were searching Tues- search teams were looking the boyfriend of Rueda-
day for a 42-year-old con- for him. Denvers’ ex-girlfriend.
victed bombmaker who Duarte-Herrera, from Ni- Prosecutors said jealousy
escaped from a Nevada caragua, was convicted was the motive for the at-
prison where he was serving in 2010 of killing a hot dog tack on the top deck of
a life sentence for a deadly stand vendor using a mo- a two-story parking struc-
2007 explosion outside a tion-activated bomb in ture. The blast initially raised
Las Vegas Strip resort. a coffee cup atop a car fears of a terrorist attack on
Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered parked at the Luxor hotel- the Strip.
an investigation into the casino. Officials described Duarte-
incident after he said late Records show his co-defen- Herrera as 5 feet, 4 inches
Tuesday his office learned dant, Omar Rueda-Den- tall and 135 pounds, with
the escapee had been vers, remained in custody brown eyes and brown
missing from the medium- Tuesday. hair.
security prison since early in The 47-year-old from Gua- Sisolak said his office or-
the weekend. temala is serving a life dered corrections officials
“This is unacceptable,” sentence at a different to “conduct and complete
Sisolak said in a statement. Nevada prison for murder, a thorough investigation
Officials didn’t realize un- attempted murder, explo- into this event as quickly as
til Tuesday morning Porfirio sives and other charges. possible.”
Duarte-Herrera was miss- A Clark County District “This kind of security lapse This undated photo provided by the Nevada Department
ing during a head count Court jury spared both men cannot be permitted of Corrections shows Porfirio Duarte-Herrera, a convicted
at Southern Desert Correc- from the death penalty in and those responsible will bombmaker who was discovered missing Tuesday, Sept. 27,
tional Center near Las Ve- the slaying of Willebaldo be held responsible,” he 2022, from Southern Desert Correctional Center outside Las
Vegas.
gas. A state Department of Dorantes Antonio, whom said.q Associated Press