Photo from protesteasyguns.com from Chicago, April 2008
Just a quick overview of firearms laws in the state of Illinois, a state where the protest above happened protesting guns being too easy to get.
Illinois has some of the most restrictive firearm laws in the country.
To possess or purchase firearms or ammunition, Illinois residents must have a Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card, which is issued by the state police. Generally an FOID will be granted unless the applicant has been convicted of a felony or an act of domestic violence, is the subject of an order of protection, has been convicted of assault or battery or been a patient in a mental institution within the last five years, or has been adjudicated as a mental defective. There are additional requirements for applicants under the age of 21.
There is no state preemption of firearm laws. Some municipalities, most notably Chicago, require that all firearms be registered with the local police department. Chicago does not allow the registration of handguns, which has the effect of outlawing their possession, unless they were grandfathered in by being registered before April 16, 1982. The Chicago suburb of Oak Park also has banned handguns, and Highland Park bars handgun possession unless the resident has obtained a permit from the police. The status of these various handgun bans has been uncertain since June 26, 2008, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Washington, D.C.’s handgun ban in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller. Chicago and Oak Park have indicated that they will fight in court to keep their current laws, but in the months following the Heller decision, handgun bans were repealed in the suburbs of Wilmette, Morton Grove, Evanston, and Winnetka.
Cook County has banned assault weapons and magazines that can hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. Other municipalities have also enacted various firearm restrictions. Lack of preemption makes it difficult to travel throughout Illinois with a firearm while being sure that no laws are being broken.
Illinois is one of two remaining states that have no provision for the concealed carry of firearms by citizens. Open carry is also illegal, except when hunting, or when in unincorporated areas where carrying is not prohibited by county law. When a firearm is being transported, it must be unloaded and enclosed in a case.
When purchasing a handgun in Illinois, there is a 72 hour waiting period after the sale before the buyer can take possession. The waiting period for long guns is 24 hours.
So for all those laws, what does that get you?
Chicago had seven shooting deaths in 24 hours this weekend, and police say they have no suspects in custody.
All seven victims were men in their 20s or 30s, and all were shot to death.
The shootings occurred between 6:15 a.m. Saturday and just before 6 a.m. Sunday.
One victim, 30-year-old Demond Stansbury, was shot along with two of his cousins, who survived and are in fair condition.
The shootings spanned the city, happening on the North, South and West sides.
So you have some of the strictest gun laws in the country and yet there were 7 shooting deaths in a 24 hour span.
What does that tell anyone with a brain?