One reason may be that in Pennsylvania, anyone without a criminal record can get a permit to carry a firearm and can buy as many guns as he or she wants. And a 1995 state law has prevented the city from banning assault rifles or imposing other restrictions tougher than those in the rest of Pennsylvania. The Police Department and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are cooperating to crack down on the illegal gun trade. He hasn't been held up yet, but he's seen it happen to plenty of other people. His newsstand has been scarred by stray bullets.
Commuters waiting for buses line the sidewalks, possible prey.
Last year, police recorded 17 robberies at the intersection, five of them at gunpoint. It was among the top 20 locations in Philadelphia for robbery. Most of those locations were shopping intersections in low-income neighborhoods. Butler and other merchants have asked police to station an officer at the intersection full-time. They feel helpless.