How did he get that far, in public, carrying a sword??????
In some states, it is legal. In most others, it is such a rare thing that people including cops don’t process the information when they see someone with a sword. That’s called “normalicy bias.”
BTW, in close quarters, a good sword is >> a gun. *IF* you know how to use it.
I imagine he kept it sheathed until on the staircase. I own a vintage Japanese sword. About twenty years ago I walked the streets of Japantown in San Francisco to have it appraised, carrying it sheathed slung over my shoulder. No one bothered me other than giving a smile. Even went into a local Japanese mart to buy some groceries. All smiles. Guess they're used to it there. Flash forward to today, and I probably wouldn't carry it in public now.