Updated Editor's Note: The gun show originally scheduled for March 2 and 3 at the Crown Plaza Suffern was cancelled today.
The hotel issued the following comment on Wednesday about its decision to cancel the show.
"Our entire nation is mourning the senseless murders of 26 children and teachers last Friday in Newtown, Ct.," said Joshua Goldstein, the General Partner of Empire Executive LLC, which owns the The Crowne Plaza Suffern. "In the wake of this horrific event, our organization has decided that we do not want to be associated with gun shows. A loophole in New York State's gun control law that allows private dealers to sell firearms without conducting background checks must be eliminated. We informed the promoter yesterday that we were no longer willing to host the event."
When New City’s Jack Borowsky stood before the Rockland County Legislature during the public comment portion of Tuesday’s meeting, he warned the legislators he wasn’t a good public speaker. What followed was a passionate speech where Borowsky talked about the recent elementary school shooting in Newtown, CT, while fighting back tears. Then, Borowsky got angry. He asked the legislators to stop a gun show from coming to Suffern March 2-3 next year at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
“We need to send them a letter tonight saying that even though you have the right to do this, we don’t want you,” he said. “This is no the time. This is not the place. This is our community.”
Earlier this week, Westchester officials opted to not bring the Sportsmen Firearm and Knife Show back to the County Center in White Plains come 2013.
The Suffern show is being organized by Big Al’s Gun and Premiere Knife Shows. According to Big Al’s website, shows for next year in Danbury, CT, and Poughkeepsie are canceled, but no reason is given.
Chairwoman of the Legislature Harriet Cornell and Legislator Aney Paul both told Borowsky to come to the next Public Safety Committee meeting to discuss the issue further. Neither knew if there was anything the county could do to stop the show from coming to Suffern.
Paul said she was going to look into the county’s options before the meeting.
