Confronting Gun Violence In Illinois

Jim McGrath

GVP Issues Specialist

LWVIL

stanorjim@aol.com

2

Let’s Start at the Beginning

• The Second Amendment�A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed
• There is nothing in this Amendment that supports an individual’s “right” to carry firearms in public for self-protection
• However,�In the 2008 case District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court held that the "Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home.“��(https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/second_amendment)

​

3

New Gun Case at SCOTUS

• First gun case SCOTUS has agreed to hear in over a decade
• Oral arguments November 3, 2021; decision expected Spring 2022
• The state of New York requires a person to show a special need for self-protection to receive an unrestricted license to carry a concealed firearm outside the home.
• Robert Nash and Brandon Koch challenged the law after New York rejected their concealed-carry applications based on failure to show “proper cause.”
• A district court dismissed their claims, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed.
• Issue: Does New York's law requiring that applicants for unrestricted concealed-carry licenses demonstrate a special need for self-defense violate the Second Amendment?
• From the NRA Nov 28: November 3 was a historic day for constitutional rights in the United States, as the U.S. Supreme Court delved into a detailed and sophisticated exploration of the meaning and scope of the Second Amendment’s right to “bear” arms in public places

​

​

• In a 6–3 decision, the majority ruled that New York's law was unconstitutional, and effectively ruled that the possession of pistols in public was a constitutional right under the Second Amendment.�https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State_Rifle_%26_Pistol_Association,_Inc._v._Bruen

4

New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen

https://www.oyez.org/cases/2021/20-843

https://www.nraila.org/articles/20211108/the-right-to-bear-arms-gets-its-day-in-court?utm_source=email&utm_medium=sfmc&utm_campaign=1258_voice_of_freedom&utm_content=issue_33_november_2021

Most in US say they want stricter gun laws, poll from AP-NORC and University of Chicago shows�

• Overall, 8 in 10 Americans perceive that gun violence is increasing around the country
• The poll shows bipartisan majorities of Americans support a nationwide background check policy for all gun sales,
• a law preventing mentally ill people from purchasing guns,
• allowing courts to temporarily prevent people who are considered a danger to themselves or others from purchasing a gun,
• making 21 the minimum age to buy a gun nationwide
• and banning those who have been convicted of domestic violence from purchasing a gun.

5

https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-aud-nw-ap-poll-guns-20220823-3a25lpikavcmhg4llxzierx3aq-story.html?fbclid=IwAR3qOu5wUL78et_I7p-UQ6Y-qcwp_DaI0I875K2YtmvSTXODQ9pLmf7fBFA

By SARA BURNETT

Aug 23, 2022

https://apnorc.org/projects/americans-experiences-concerns-and-views-related-to-gun-violence/

We Don’t Have Gun Problem?�July 4, 2022 in Highland Park, IL

• The July 4 shooting was just the latest to shatter the rituals of American life. Schools, churches, grocery stores and now community parades have all become killing grounds in recent months. This time, the bloodshed came as the nation tried to find cause to celebrate its founding and the bonds that still hold it together.
• “It’s commonplace now,” Tuazon said. “We don’t blink anymore. Until laws change, it’s going to be more of the same.”
• “There’s no safe place,” said Highland Park resident Barbara Harte, 73

6

https://www.aol.com/news/july-4-parade-shooting-leaves-114817310-165021243.html

Look at My Face and Tell Me We Don’t Need Gun Control�

• Here is the thing: I am just 18 but this is not the first time I have been close to a mass shooting. (Highland Park July 4, 2022)
• In 2016, when a shooter killed 49 people at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando with a semiautomatic rifle, I was 10 minutes away, visiting my dad.
• In 2017, he was living in Las Vegas when a sniper armed with multiple assault rifles shot up the Route 91 Harvest Festival, killing 60 people; my dad being extremely nearby
• Of course, some people were calling me a crisis actor, saying I was pretending I was shot and that the blood on my face, my shirt, and running down my pants was makeup.
• Here’s the truth: It was real, all too real. Just like the gun problem.

​

7

Lilli Martini Tue, July 5, 2022

https://news.yahoo.com/look-face-tell-don-t-000132529.html?a20_comeback_from_auth=1&guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9sb2dpbi55YWhvby5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADEnO4YZ5D8CALAzE2jsmXlTynGuZZGWgBNu4KHjBTGwSUS6nXTd3bebr1DwniUgrN_it0VIhj_KFqZrpdcELBY4yPnaBsS1fiyNx2pTh67Z8aMMdXdtJAvKlpBW-yy8hgdP7MSSmiRirUxyvlTVj4DxFmTXCI6wlLvebtGejKoP

We can change the future of gun violence

• The shooting epidemic in the United States is the outcome of weak gun laws, a longstanding misinformation campaign by the gun lobby, the undue influence of the gun lobby on Congress, and a gun industry protected by Congress with immunity laws.
• Uvalde was the 212th mass shooting this year.
• The gun lobby’s decades-long disinformation campaign would have us believe that even more guns are the answer.
• The myth that gun-free zones are magnets for shooters is based on pseudo-research with massive data holes from discredited sources.
• On the evening my daughter was murdered in Aurora, several people carrying concealed handguns were in the theater. In the dark chaos, they could not shoot at the killer without risking shooting other people.

8

https://gvpedia.medium.com/we-can-change-the-future-of-gun-violence-f91b01313eb9

Jun 20, 2022�GVPedia

Note: The daughter of one of the authors of this article was killed in the 2012 Aurora Colorado theater shooting

Mass Shootings

• Defined as 4 or more people shot and killed – not including the shooter �( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_shootings_in_the_United_States )�(https://everytownresearch.org/maps/mass-shootings-in-america-2009-2019/)�
• Mass shootings burdens health care systems, local economies, and taxpayers.� One researcher estimated that the cost of the Las Vegas mass shooting would be at least $600 million after tallying costs such as medical and mental health care, police work, work loss and employer expenses, and quality of life. � The fear of mass shootings only increases these costs—one investigation found that since Columbine, at least $811 million federal dollars have been spent to help school districts hire security guards.^�
• Gun violence costs Illinois $10.6 billion each year, of which $668.9 million is paid by taxpayers. (SOURCE: TED R. MILLER ANALYSIS OF CDC FATAL INJURY: 2018 AND HCUP NONFATAL INJURY: 2017) (HTTPS://EVERYSTAT.ORG/)

9

American gun violence has immense costs beyond the death toll, new studies find

• "This epidemic is costing our nation $557 billion annually," says Sarah Burd-Sharps, research director at the gun control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety
• "This is honestly a very conservative estimate," she says. "It covers directly measurable costs. It doesn't cover things like the trauma of children who don't want to return their school. The impact on businesses or on property, you know, values and taxes.

10

https://www.npr.org/2022/07/21/1112214346/american-gun-violence-has-immense-costs-beyond-the-death-toll-new-studies-find?utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social

July 21, 2022

Eric Westervelt

The Hidden Cost of Firearm Injuries

• While 40,000 people in the United States are killed by firearms each year, an estimated 85,000 people survive firearm injuries. A new study shows that the repercussions of such trauma extend far beyond the immediate aftermath of the injury.
• The long-term, often-hidden, costs of firearm injuries include worse mental health, substance use disorders, and higher health care spending for survivors as well as increased mental health disorders for their significant others and children, according to new research by investigators at Harvard Medical School, published April 5 in Annals of Internal Medicine.  
• Moreover, gunshot survivors average $2,495 more in health care spending per month than demographically and clinically matched peers. This latter finding, extrapolated to all gunshot survivors in the U.S., suggests that direct health care spending due to these injuries amounts to some $2.5 billion in the first year alone.

11

https://hms.harvard.edu/news/hidden-cost-firearm-injuries?fbclid=IwAR1_3imQ_4ofwzEbz1KcAqzxP0X40LE516zr4Jjgwmuw_mj4WOcWg98RlLU#.YlSYIsQ6JEk.facebook

By JAKE MILLER April 4, 2022 

Each fatal shooting costs D.C. more than $1.5 million, study says�

• Every time a trigger is pulled and a victim is shot dead in D.C., the city pays at least $1.53 million in response, according to a new report commissioned by local nonprofit Peace for D.C.
• Police race to the scene;�an ambulance transports the victim to a hospital;�law enforcement searches for perpetrators, attorneys argue in court, suspects are jailed pretrial and then sentenced to time in prison;�a coroner’s office investigates the cause of death;�and bereaved families receive social-services benefits as small compensation for their life-altering loss.
• Each step costs taxpayers thousands and thousands of dollars. And then the cycle repeats.

12

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/04/29/dc-gun-violence-shootings-cost/?utm_source=The+Trace+mailing+list&utm_campaign=1a056007c6-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_09_24_04_06_COPY_01&utm_medium=email

Multiple law enforcement agencies respond to a shooting in Northwest D.C. on April 22

By Emily Davies

April 29, 2022

13

What is and isn’t allowed by Illinois’ gun laws

• Illinois has some of the strictest gun laws in the country.
• Despite those stringent measures, Illinois does allow the purchase of so-called assault rifles, including the infamous AR-15-style gun
• The Illinois Constitution lays out the right of Illinois citizens “to keep and bear arms,” but according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Illinois courts have consistently found that right does not prevent the state or individual municipalities from imposing gun restrictions or regulations.
• Illinois law also prohibits anyone younger than 21 from purchasing or possessing a firearm unless the young person is sponsored by an eligible adult.
• In fact, the Illinois gun permit law actually restricts municipalities from banning assault rifles.

14

https://www.wbez.org/stories/illinois-gun-laws-explained/ba5abc0e-6e42-4602-aef6-6e4c5fc2a09b?utm_source=email&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Web-Share&fbclid=IwAR00mfvuQhKuPfNiAAT_W0IJp-jD9_lipXOtiRsah_S9MjsuDUQ3rHhiezY

Assault rifles, including the infamous AR-15, may be purchased in the state – but not in Cook County or Chicago.

 Patrick Smith, Courtney Kueppers�May 25, 2022 Updated July 8, 2022

Court: California's Under-21 Gun Sales Ban Unconstitutional

• Judge Ryan D. Nelson of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a California law that prevented semiautomatic weapons sales to anyone under the age of 21. The law, which has been in effect since July 2021, also restricted purchases of those weapons to one per month for all ages.� 
• Nelson said the law infringed upon the second amendment rights of those ages 18-21. Thinking back 200 years, he explained, “America would not exist without the heroism of the young adults who fought and died in our revolutionary army.” State Attorney General Rob Bonta said they’ll be reviewing the decision. (CNN)

15

A federal appeals court has ruled that California's ban on the sale of semiautomatic weapons to adults under age 21 is unconstitutional. (May 11, 2022)

https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2022-05-11/court-californias-under-21-gun-sales-ban-unconstitutional

What Is an Assault Weapon?

• The definition varies among regulating jurisdictions, but usually includes semi-automatic firearms with a detachable magazine, a pistol grip, and sometimes other features, such as a vertical forward grip, flash suppressor, or barrel shroud�
• When the now-defunct Federal Assault Weapons Ban was passed in 1994, the U.S. Department of Justice said, "In general, assault weapons are semiautomatic firearms with a large magazine of ammunition that were designed and configured for rapid fire and combat use.

16

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault_weapon

Facing GOP Pressure, the ATF Cancelled Review of Devices Now Implicated in Two Mass Shootings

17

By Brian Freskos and Alain Stephens 

Mar 30, 2021

https://www.thetrace.org/2021/03/ar-pistol-stablizing-brace-atf-gun-boulder-dayton/

How to Reduce Shootings

• America has more guns than any other country
• The first step is to understand the scale of the challenge America faces: The U.S. has more than 300 million guns — roughly one for every citizen — and stands out as well for its gun death rates.
• At the other extreme, Japan has less than one gun per 100 people, and typically fewer than 10 gun deaths a year in the entire country.

18

By Nicholas Kristof Updated May 24, 2022

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/11/06/opinion/how-to-reduce-shootings.html?referringSource=articleShare&fbclid=IwAR3UmpcZElgdjYku0E5oNMXse8oz2ofFwXXrZpCxk-1GsFpYidC3Z0w7VLs

How to Reduce Shootings

• We have a model for regulating guns:�automobiles
• Gun enthusiasts often protest: Cars kill about as many people as guns, and we don’t ban them!
• No, but automobiles are actually a model for the public health approach I’m suggesting.
• We don’t ban cars, but we work hard to regulate them — and limit access to them — so as to reduce the death toll they cause.
• This has been spectacularly successful, reducing the death rate per 100 million miles driven to less than one-seventh of what it was in 1946.

19

By Nicholas Kristof Updated May 24, 2022

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/11/06/opinion/how-to-reduce-shootings.html?referringSource=articleShare&fbclid=IwAR3UmpcZElgdjYku0E5oNMXse8oz2ofFwXXrZpCxk-1GsFpYidC3Z0w7VLs

20

Gun Violence Archive ( https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/ )

@GunDeaths

Real-time U.S. gun violence statistics as of September 22, 2022:

​

• 32,306 gun deaths all causes

• Homicides = 14,816 (46%)
• Suicide = 17,490 (54%)

• 28,952 gun injuries

• 496 mass shootings

• 237 children (age 0-11) shot/killed

• 973 teenagers (age 12-17) shot/killed

• 876 defensive use incidents

• 1,163 unintentional shootings

• 501 murder/suicide incidents

​

US GVP Data for 2022: We can do better

• Click the link above to see how the totals have changed since September 22�
• Note that suicides are tallied separately and are always more than 50% of all gun deaths�
• Find the State of Illinois on the map to see that gun violence is pervasive across the state

Note: Illinois suicide rate is 39% and homicides are 58%�https://everystat.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Gun-Violence-in-Illinois.pdf

Gun Violence Is Not Isolated�to the Chicago Area

21

Gun Violence Around the State

• Decatur Police Chief wants Action
• https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2325605601272/these-politicians-need-to-step-up-dpd-chief-wants-action-on-gun-violence-issue?s=oldSite&ss=i1
• https://www.wandtv.com/news/these-politicians-need-to-step-up-dpd-chief-wants-action-on-gun-violence-issue/article_a77c76c4-f0e0-11eb-bc6a-bff3f18c988f.html
• Peoria’s Vicious Pattern of Gun Violence
• https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/crime/2021/07/14/vicious-pattern-of-gun-violence-worries-peoria-city-leaders/7960473002/
• Gun Violence in Rockford Labeled a Pandemic by Local Leaders
• https://www.google.com/search?q=gun+violence+in+rockford+illinois&sxsrf=ALeKk006yUSOdE6j5VG6fUDKFMdMZcyGFQ%3A1628458140081&ei=nEwQYb-4BK2E9PwPwcSoiAY&oq=gun+violence+in+rockford+illinois&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyBQgAEM0CMgUIABDNAjoHCCMQsAMQJzoHCCMQsAIQJzoECCEQCkoECEEYAVCsJFjqTWDeZmgBcAB4AIABT4gB_geSAQIxNZgBAKABAcgBAcABAQ&sclient=gws-wiz&ved=0ahUKEwi_9uGnr6LyAhUtAp0JHUEiCmEQ4dUDCA8&uact=5
• Carbondale: Residents Say “Enough is Enough” about gun violence in the city
• https://dailyegyptian.com/99733/news/enough-is-enough-concerned-residents-speak-out-about-gun-violence-at-city-council-meeting/
• Champaign Leaders Call for End to Gun Violence
• https://illinoisnewsroom.org/champaign-leaders-call-for-end-to-gun-violence/
• https://illinoisnewsroom.org/champaign-leaders-call-for-end-to-gun-violence/
• International Association of Chiefs of Police
• https://www.theiacp.org/sites/default/files/2019-05/IACP%20Firearms%20Position%20Paper_2018%20(1).pdf

​

​

​

22

23

Suicide�A long-term solution to a short-term problem

• Kids and adolescents are at an increased risk for suicide when there is a gun in the home.
• Suicide rates in this population are four times higher than for kids who live in homes without guns.
• In the past decade, 40% of the suicides committed by kids and teens involved guns.
• Nine out of 10 of these suicides were with guns that the victims accessed at their own homes or from a relative's home.�
• MYTH: Gun suicide is not more lethal than other means
• FACT: Attempted suicides by firearms have an 82.5% fatality rate, versus a fatality rate of 4% for all suicide attempts. 70% of suicide survivors never attempt suicide again�
• Get help: https://onethingtodo.org/#hero

​

24

https://www.luriechildrens.org/en/news-stories/only-half-of-parents-with-firearms-at-home-keep-them-unloaded/

https://www.gvpedia.org/gvp-university/facts-about-firearms-policy-initiative/

What State Had The Most Gun Sales in 2021?

• Illinois
• The state with the most gun sales through the first six months (2021) was Illinois at 6,050,704. The state has only 4% of the (US) population but accounted for 27% of gun sales for the period.
• In second place, Kentucky had 1,651,442 sales in the first six months of 2021.��
• No state has seen more FBI background checks associated with the sale, transfer or permitting of firearms in 2021 than Illinois
• States with the most background checks through October 2021.
• Illinois: 7,733,188
• Kentucky: 3,100,798
• Texas: 1,643,592
• Indiana: 1,580,420
• Florida: 1,431,049

25

https://247wallst.com/special-report/2021/07/30/2021-gun-sales-reach-22-2-million-heres-the-top-state-2/

https://www.wrex.com/news/illinois-news/illinois-leads-country-in-fbi-firearm-background-checks-in-2021/article_9a20a688-3c23-11ec-8a4a-7b8085497ef7.html

Ghost Guns

• What is a ghost gun?
• It is a gun made from a kit of purchased parts
• The finished gun is not serialized
• Therefore, it is not registered - anywhere
• Kids, felons and domestic abusers can purchase these kits online.
• It’s still illegal for them to possess a firearm
• But since it’s not registered, no authority knows they have a firearm
• Review the proposed new Rule on Ghost Guns from the ATF�https://www.atf.gov/rules-and-regulations/definition-frame-or-receiver/summary
• Between 2016 and 2020, over 23,000 unserialized firearms were recovered by law enforcement from potential crime scenes, according to the ATF. https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/atf-right-track-fighting-proliferation-ghost-guns

​

26

Myths and Facts About Ghost Guns

• Ghost guns are one of the fastest growing threats to gun safety, which is why thousands have urged the ATF to take action. These untraceable firearms are showing up at more crime scenes across the country—including in school shootings.
• And because they can be bought in kit form with no background check and no questions asked, they’ve become a weapon of choice for criminals and gun traffickers.

27

https://www.everytown.org/myths-facts-about-ghost-guns/?akid=291711.1448499.sws1-z&rd=1&refcode=emne_GG_ATF_20220402&source=emne_GG_ATF_20220402&t=12&utm_campaign=GG_ATF_20220402&utm_medium=e&utm_source=emne_GG_ATF_20220402

What is a Frame or Receiver?

28

https://www.atf.gov/firearms/firearms-guides-importation-verification-firearms-ammunition-gun-control-act-definitions#:~:text=Firearm%20Frame%20or%20Receiver,portion%20to%20receive%20the%20barrel.

‘Ghost guns’ are not currently regulated in most US states�

29

FILE - This Nov. 27, 2019, file photo shows "ghost guns" on display at the headquarters of the San Francisco Police Department in San Francisco.�Families of those killed and wounded in a rural California shooting rampage in 2017 are suing manufacturers and sellers of "ghost gun" kits that provide easy-to-assemble firearm parts that make it difficult to track or regulate owners. (AP Photo/Haven Daley, File)

Olathe East (Kansas) Shooting Suspect�Used a Ghost Gun March 4, 2022

• … a student at Olathe East High School in Kansas accused of attempted murder after police say he shot a school resource officer and an administrator.
• (the student) was also shot and seriously injured when the school resource officer returned fire
• Video of TV news report on this incident https://youtu.be/IP4GfdAm39s

​

30

https://heavy.com/news/jaylon-elmore/

If you see something, say something!

Are School Resource Officers (SROs) Effective?

• Hiring school resource officers has been a primary response to school shootings by a large number of schools despite the large financial cost and limited evidence of effectiveness
• We found no evidence that the presence of resource officers in schools lessened the severity of school shooting incidents.

​

​

31

https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(18)30832-2/fulltext

Journal of Adolescent Health

Assault Weapons & Mass Shootings

• The vast majority of deaths by guns in the US is from handguns
• However, the weapon of choice for most mass shooters is an assault weapon like an AR-15 or AK47
• The recent ruling to overturn a California law banning assault weapons was blocked by the Federal Appeals Court
• Since the overturn of the ban did not stand on appeal – law was reinstated
• The plaintiff will probably request the Supreme Court to take the case
• This is a strategy to get the US Supreme Court to rule on assault weapon bans
• There are over 20 million assault weapons in possession by US gun owners�https://twitter.com/60Minutes/status/1404227300829376519?s=09

​

• Consider that the Filibuster as a Lethal Weapon�It is preventing Common Sense Gun Laws from Senate debate

32

https://twtter.com/MSNBC/status/1401970471189557251?s=09� https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2021/03/25/us-has-at-least-20-million-assault-rifles-a-ban-wouldnt-reduce-that-number/?sh=1238db8e4978

What is a Bump Stock?

33

• These devices can allow a semi-automatic rifle to fire nearly as fast as a machine gun.�
• Bump stocks like this one installed on an AK-47 are now illegal in the U.S., after the Trump administration changed how they are legally defined.�
• Owners had to destroy or turn them in 90 days after the ban took effect by March 29, 2019�
• Bump-Stock Ban Remains as Appeals Court Splits on Gun Law Dec 3, 2021

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/product-liability-and-toxics-law/bump-stock-ban-remains-as-appeals-court-splits-on-gun-law

Fully Automatic Handgun – Really!

• For decades, fully automatic weapons were expensive, collectable, and rarely used in crimes.
• “Auto sears”, which can cost less than $20 online, have changed that.
• These devices are coming from China and can be purchased on-line.
• Shipping paperwork typically has an erroneous description of the shipment’s contents
• Can fire 20 or more rounds per second
• Two Video Demos of a Glock handgun fitted with an auto sear�https://youtu.be/qpx8ovP0kTk

34

https://youtu.be/UHk2_SGRFQU

This piece of plastic can turn almost any gun into a machine gun (even a handgun)

• What is an automatic sear?
• An auto sear is a small device made of metal or plastic that can make any handgun a fully automatic weapon. With one pull of the trigger, that gun can shoot 16 rounds.
• They are the size of a Lego, come in colors of the rainbow and, in seconds, can turn a semi-automatic weapon into a machine gun.

​

• And yes, it's totally possible to 3D-print a Glock switch.
• Just remember that having one without a license (even if it's not installed in the gun) can carry a 10-year federal prison sentence

​

35

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2022/08/30/auto-sear-machine-gun-converter-investigation-shot-spotter-orig.cnn

An Auto Sear Installed on an AR-15

• The gun lobby’s never-ending work to develop ever more lethal firearms
• With bump-stocks outlawed, this device turns an AR-15 into a fully automatic weapon and is completely not visible.

36

HB5522 Illinois Ban on the Sale of Assault Weapons

• Introduced on January 28, 2022 by Rep Maura Hirschauer
• February 18, 2022 referred to Rules Committee
• June 6, 2022 Rep Margaret Croke added as sponsor
• Between July 6 and July 27, 2022, 56 representatives signed on as sponsors
• So there are 58 sponsors. We need 60 votes in the House to pass.
• But what about the special session? Probably not happening.
• Veto session requires 72 votes
• This bill may be held until the lame duck session

37

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=5522&GAID=16&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=110&GA=102

Active Shooter Drills Banned - HB2400

• EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, active shooter drills have been amended and our students will no longer be subjected to the trauma that they have had to endure in the past. Many thanks and much gratitude goes to Rep Maura Hirschauer (D49-West Chicago) for introducing this bill and moving it through so quickly with bipartisan support.�Elections matter! HB2400 is now a law Public Act 102-0395
• Summary
• school administrators and school support personnel may, in their discretion, exempt a student or students from participating in a walk-through lockdown drill;
• schools must provide sufficient information and notification to parents and guardians in advance of any walk-through lockdown drill that involves the participation of students and must also provide to parents and guardians an opportunity to exempt their child for any reason from participating in the walk-through lockdown drill
• schools must provide alternative safety education and instruction related to an active threat or active shooter event to students who do not participate in a walk-through lockdown drill to provide them with essential information, training, and instruction through less sensorial safety training methods
•  during a drill, students must be allowed to ask questions related to the drill
•  law enforcement may choose to run an active shooter simulation, but only on school days when students are not present, and parental notification is not required if students are not required to be present

38

39

2021 IASB Res 2: Arming of School Employees Failed – AGAIN

181 Approve to 202 Do Not Approve

Way too close – We Have Work to Do

IASB Resolutions for 2022 were posted this week. There is no proposal to arm school employees

Arming Teachers

• Mishandled Guns in Schools�Armed adults frequently mishandle their guns in schools. Arming teachers wouldn't decrease risk to students - it would increase their risk.�Our comprehensive analysis finds there have been more than 70 publicly reported incidents of mishandled guns at schools in the last five years. (Retrieved from: Gifford's Law Center Article | Kelly Drane - Aug. 2019).�
• Arming Teachers - New Risks Into Schools�…legislators in some states have eschewed proven solutions … and have been seduced by the risky and false idea that arming teachers and school staff will make our schools safe.
• In fact, an armed teacher cannot, in a moment of extreme duress and confusion, be expected to transform into a specially trained law enforcement officer.
• An armed teacher is much more likely to shoot a student bystander or be shot by responding law enforcement than to be an effective solution to an active shooter in a school.
• For more information about evidence-based school safety solutions, visit: everytownresearch.org/school-safety. Everytown Research.org May 2019 

​

​

​

40

Guns in The Home

• Did you know that roughly a third of U.S. homes with children have guns?
• In fact, an estimated 5.4 million kids live with unlocked, loaded guns.
• That's a scary statistic when you think about the fact that even young toddlers are capable of finding unlocked guns in the home, and they are strong enough to pull the trigger

41

https://www.healthychildren.org/SiteCollectionImagesArticleImages/GunSafety_Safe_FB.jpg

Age of School Shooters & Safe Gun Storage

42

( https://www.statista.com/statistics/971544/number-k-12-school-shootings-us-age-shooter/ )

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=072000050K24-9

Current Illinois Law

HB4839 proposed to change 14 to 18

Safe Gun Storage & Ethan’s Law

• Federal Legislation: Better known as Ethan's Law, HR748 would require that a gun, loaded or unloaded, be properly stored so that individuals under the age of 18 cannot access the firearm. The bill was prompted by the tragic death of 15 year-old Guilford (CT) resident, Ethan Song
• While at a friend’s house, Ethan died after being shot with an improperly stored gun and due to a loophole (in the law), the owner of the gun could not be prosecuted.
• This bill establishes a framework to regulate the storage of firearms on residential premises at the federal, state, and tribal levels.
• 03/22/2021 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security�
• Illinois Legislation: HB5086 $DPH-SAFE GUN STORAGE CAMPAIGN Appropriates $3,500,000 to the Department of Public Health to be used for the safe gun storage public awareness campaign �🡺 Assigned to Appropriations

43

After Oxford School, MI, Shootings�Secure Storage Is Once Again Important

• Charging parents of juvenile shooters is uncommon, with just four reported instances in which the adult owners of the weapons were criminally punished because they failed to lock firearms fired by a child, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
• That’s despite the fact that if children as young as 6 did not have access to guns, well more than half of the country’s school shootings since 1999 would never have happened, The Washington Post found.
• “If you look at school shootings, the overwhelming majority are committed by students, and the overwhelming majority of those students have guns that they brought from their homes or a relative’s home,” said Daniel Webster, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy.

​

44

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/12/04/oxford-shooting-crumbley-parents-charges-explainer/

What does the Child Safety Lock Act of 2005 (CSLA) require of a licensee?�

• There is no requirement for the safe storage of firearms under current federal law. However, a 2005 law requires that all handguns sold by dealers be accompanied by a secure gun safety device such as a cable lock.
• When selling, delivering, or transferring a handgun to any person other than another licensee, any licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer must provide a secure gun storage or safety device to that person for the handgun.
• However, there is no law requiring that the lock be used

45

https://www.atf.gov/firearms/qa/what-does-child-safety-lock-act-2005-csla-require-licensee

Fed Announces Safe Storage�Monday, January 3, 2022

• “Today’s announcements build on the department’s efforts to reduce the risk of firearms falling into the wrong hands,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
• … a final rule, which took effect Feb. 3, (2022) requiring FFLs to certify that they have secure gun storage devices available to their customers for purchase.
• Secure gun storage or safety device, as defined by statute and regulation, includes a safe, gun safe, gun case, lock box or other device that is designed to be or can be used to store a firearm and that is designed to be unlocked only by means of a key, a combination or other similar means. 
• Full text of rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/01/04/2021-28398/secure-gun-storage-and-definition-of-antique-firearm

46

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-new-rule-help-enhance-safe-and-secure-storage-firearms-publishes

Here's what's in the bipartisan gun safety bill

• $750 million to help states implement and run crisis intervention programs
• Closing the so-called boyfriend loophole
• Requires more gun sellers to register as Federal Firearms Licensed (FFL) Dealers
• More thorough reviews of people ages 18-21 who want to buy guns
• Creates new federal statutes against gun trafficking and straw trafficking
• Increases funding for mental health programs and school security

​

47

Lauren Fox, CNN�June 24, 2022

https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/21/politics/whats-in-senate-gun-reform-bill/index.html

Why do we need a national law requiring safe gun storage?

48

Major Milestone: More Than Two Million Students Nationwide Now Attend Schools With Secure Firearm Storage Awareness Policies�

• Protecting children from gun violence, both in schools and in their homes, begins with preventing them from getting their hands on guns in the first place through secure storage
• There’s no better way to reach parents than through the schools

​

• HB4729- DPH- SAFE GUN STORAGE CAMPAIGN - EVERYTOWN APPROVED�🡺 Passed both chambers. Sent to Governor Public Act 102-1067
• HB5193 - GUN SAFETY INFO mandating schools to include information on safe gun storage in their handbooks Amended�🡺 Passed both chambers. Sent to Governor Public Act 102-0971
• HB4383 – Ban Ghost Guns�🡺 Passed both chambers. Public Act 102-0889
• HB4893 - FIREARMS-CHILD PROTECT Safe Storage (amending current statute to up the age to 18)�🡺 Sent to Rules Committee February 18, 2022

49

https://www.everytown.org/press/major-milestone-more-than-two-million-students-nationwide-now-attend-schools-with-secure-firearm-storage-awareness-policies/

Federal HR880 - Firearm Safety Act of 2021

• Proposed by IL Rep Robin Kelly February 5, 2021
• To amend the Consumer Product Safety Act to remove the exclusion of pistols, revolvers, and other firearms from the definition of consumer product in order to permit the issuance of safety standards for such articles by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• Feb 8, 2021:�Referred to the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.

50

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/880/all-info

Project Child Safe

• Sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (https://www.nssf.org/safety/ )
• Project ChildSafe is committed to promoting genuine firearms safety through the distribution of safety education messages and free firearm safety kits to communities across the U.S.
• Does your police department distribute free gun locks?
• Check here: https://projectchildsafe.org/safety/get-a-safety-kit/
• If your town is not listed, contact your chief of police to request your PD to participate. IT’S FREE
• If your town is listed, call your PD to ask if they have an inventory of gun locks. If not, ask that they contact NSSF to replenish the inventory

​

51

https://projectchildsafe.org/

Typical Gun Locks

52

Cable locks like these can be defeated with a cutting tool

Biometric Gun Safe at Walmart.com

53

A locked box is the recommended safe gun storage method

Smart Guns Have Been Under Development for Decades. With U.S. Launch in Sight, the Public Appears Relatively On Board�

• Over half of gun owners back smart guns’ development, as do 46% of gun nonowners
• A smart gun developer and the NRA said they are opposed to the regulation of smart guns, but a 48% plurality of the public backs the regulated legalization of the weapons.
• Smart guns can only be fired by verified users, who unlock them by using either a fingerprint, a four-digit pin code or through embedded field communication that connects to a smartphone or other device via Bluetooth.

​

54

https://morningconsult.com/2022/03/08/smart-guns-survey/?utm_source=The+Trace+mailing+list&utm_campaign=a7cabda681-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_09_24_04_06_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f76c3ff31c-a7cabda681-112413381

STUDY SHOWS�MORE OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS IN STATES THAT DROPPED CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT REQUIREMENTS�

• A new study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that the estimated average rate of officer-involved shootings increased by 12.9% in 10 U.S. states that, between 2014 and 2020, relaxed restrictions on civilians carrying concealed firearms in public.
• "THE TREND OF MORE STATES ALLOWING CIVILIANS TO CARRY CONCEALED GUNS WITHOUT A PERMIT MAY BE INFLUENCING THE PERCEIVED THREAT OF DANGER FACED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.“ Mitchell Doucette, Center for Gun Violence Solutions
• Currently, 25 states do not require civilians to have a permit to carry a concealed firearm. Another 17 states require local law enforcement to issue civilians a permit to carry a firearm if they meet criteria based on criminal history or training requirements. The remaining eight states leave civilian concealed-carry permitting to the discretion of local authorities.

​

55

By Caitlin Hoffman and Carly Kempler 

https://hub.jhu.edu/2022/05/16/study-concealed-carry-permits-officer-involved-shootings/?mc_cid=94359d3263&mc_eid=48ee10f2ba

56

We asked every senator what action should be taken on guns. Here’s what one Senator said

• MARSHA BLACKBURN (R) TENNESSEE
• A Blackburn spokesperson sent NewsHour a statement on behalf of the senator: “We must take meaningful steps to protect our children and that begins with enhancing physical security at schools.
• There is already roughly $100 billion sitting in the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund that can be used for this purpose. In addition, schools should have secured, limited entry points, and increased funding for school resource officers (SRO).
• School officials with prior military or law enforcement experience should be allowed to carry firearms.
• Finally, mental health must be taken seriously. We should improve access to resources and treatment for those suffering from mental illness.”

​

57

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-action-should-be-taken-on-guns-we-asked-every-senator

Commissioner calls for further investigation after sheriff's gun show sting

• CROWN POINT — A commissioner called for further investigation and an anti-gun activist warned of "a false sense of security" in the wake of the sheriff's announcement last week of a months-long undercover investigation targeting the long-criticized gun shows at the Lake County Fairgrounds.
• Dan Hedger, who owns the company that puts on the gun shows, said he's wasn't aware of an undercover police operation but had no problems with it
• The Crown Point gun shows, which have been held for decades, long have been criticized as a place where straw purchasers — who often have no convictions that would prevent them from buying a gun — can divert firearms to those cannot legally possess them.

58

https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/commissioner-calls-for-further-investigation-after-sheriffs-gun-show-sting/article_8b6b1d97-da11-5ba3-b9eb-0b4cfb1ec98f.html

• Sarah Reese
•  Feb 27, 2022 Updated Apr 10, 2022

Source of Crime Guns Recovered in 2020

59

• We know Indiana is a major source for trafficked Illinois crime guns
• But 37% of all crime guns recovered in Illinois in 2020 came from Illinois dealers
• Indiana sourced 12% of all crime guns recovered in 2020�
• We can control Illinois gun dealers enabled by the Gun Dealer Certification Law
• We can’t do anything about out of state dealers without getting federal�legislation passed

Top Recovery Cities for Firearms with an Illinois Recovery�JANUARY 1, 2020 – DECEMBER 31, 2020�

60

https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/firearms-trace-data-illinois-2020

Can’t Sue a Gun Manufacturer or Dealer

61

A meeting with top law enforcement officials from seven states and Washington, D.C., focused in part on ways states may work around the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), which largely shields gun companies from being held liable for crimes committed with their products. "One of the key things we need to do is repeal it [PLCAA], and we're still fighting every day for that,” a White House official told USA TODAY. “But in the meantime, we're going to be creative about talking to states about how they can use existing law to make policy change."

• Firearms are the only consumer product where the manufacturer is not held responsible for death and injury caused by their product

​

• The recent out of court settlement by Remington with 9 Sandy Hook families may change this. Suit was for deceptive marketing.

​

• New Jersey AG has sued Smith and Wesson for deceptive advertising; the NJ Supreme Court has upheld the AG subpoena for discovery; Pennsylvania, Indiana have similar cases that are proceeding�
• FYI: Yard darts were outlawed December 1988 in the US after three deaths

Guns and Violence Against Women

• Intimate partner violence and gun violence in the US are inextricably linked, impacting millions of women, families, and communities across the country.
• Abusers with firearms are five times more likely to kill their victims, and guns further exacerbate the power and control dynamic used by abusers to inflict emotional abuse and exert coercive control over their victims.
• Every month, an average of 57 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner.
• Nearly 1 million women alive today have reported being shot or shot at by intimate partners, and 4.5 million women have reported being threatened with a gun by an intimate partner.

62

https://everytownresearch.org/report/guns-and-violence-against-women-americas-uniquely-lethal-intimate-partner-violence-problem/

63

Extreme Risk Protection Order

US Congress Passes Violence Against Women Act

• BIG WIN FOR GUN SAFETY!
• The U.S. Senate passed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (#VAWA) last night, which includes a landmark gun safety policy fix that would help prevent convicted domestic abusers from becoming armed.
• The measure was included in a massive $1.5 trillion spending bill that passed on March 11 and will fund the government through September.
• The inclusion of the VAWA reauthorization comes after a bipartisan group of Senators agreed on a compromise to restore the lapsed law.
• That agreement dropped a measure that would have closed the so-called boyfriend loophole but included a provision that aims to strengthen the federal background check system by alerting state and local police when someone fails a background check while attempting to buy a gun.
•  VAWA was reauthorized as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, which President Joe Biden signed into law this week. Mar 16, 2022
• Fact Sheet: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/03/16/fact-sheet-reauthorization-of-the-violence-against-women-act-vawa/#:~:text=That%20force%20led%20him%20to,that%20first%20passed%20in%201994

64

March 16, 2022

Guns and Violence Against Women�What Can We Do About This?

• The first two actions recommended by Everytown
• 1. Strengthening state laws prohibiting domestic abusers from possessing guns and requiring abusers to relinquish guns they already have.
• 2. Focusing on implementation and enforcement of existing state firearm relinquishment laws by state and local courts and law enforcement agencies
• Illinois implemented the Firearms Restraining Order (FRO) law in 2018 and in 2021 enacted an update to the FRO law with HB1092
• Find out more about the Illinois FRO at https://speakforsafetyil.org/

​

65

https://everytownresearch.org/report/guns-and-violence-against-women-americas-uniquely-lethal-intimate-partner-violence-problem/

HB1092 – FRO Update�Firearms Restraining Order

• Expands the class of people who will be able to petition the police or the courts from just the immediate family to both ex-spouses of, and common parents with, the children of the respondent gun owner. 
• Ammunition and gun parts to build a weapon are now specifically called out for removal 
• Requires the IDPH to create a program to promote public awareness of FRO
• Requires the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Board to create a standardized FRO training program for officers
• Requires the Illinois State Police (ISP) to file a report annually on their enforcement activities under FRO
• Authorizes the director of the Illinois State Police to create a commission to review all aspects of the FRO law and to develop policies for its effective enforcement

66

A FRO is different from an Order of Protection. Both may be needed.

How to File A FRO Petition – Cook County

• There are two types of Firearm Restraining Orders:� Emergency FRO and Six-Month FRO
• Fill out the Verified Petition form, and either the Emergency FRO form or Six-Month FRO form. For Cook County residents, forms can be obtained online at the Circuit Court of Cook County’s website or in person at the Circuit Court of Cook County and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.
• Bring these completed forms to any Cook County District courthouse. Please ensure you provide an accurate Date of Birth for the person in crisis. This is required to correctly process an order. You are entitled to receive free clerical support from the State’s Attorney office or from any Court Clerk’s office.
• If you live in Cook County but the person in crisis does not, contact the Circuit Court in the county where the person lives on how to proceed. This could involve requesting law enforcement to (file) the petition.
• If the Court issues a Six-month FRO at the hearing, the judge must sign off on the Six-month FRO. Keep a copy of this order for your records.
• If, at the hearing, the judge does not issue a Six-month FRO, then they shall dissolve any Emergency FRO then in effect.
• For more information visit: https://speakforsafetyil.org/

67

https://www.cookcountysheriff.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/How-To-File-a-FRO-081220-CLEAN.pdf

Video of Gun Myths

• https://youtu.be/SgL_wgSGUlA

68

Videos

• My Fourth Grader�https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKNumSUFiGk

​

​

• My Friend’s Suicide�https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3snfamyQ6M

69

Some links to Joyce Foundation Studies

• https://www.joycefdn.org/news/new-survey-sheds-light-on-americans-2nd-amendment-views?mc_cid=94359d3263&mc_eid=48ee10f2ba

70

Does this make sense to anyone?

71

In Conclusion: My Requests

• Use https://www.vote411.org/illinois.com or https://justfacts.votesmart.org/ for election info.
• At candidate forums, be sure to have gun questions prepared
• Request your vote by mail ballot today
• Schedule a GVP presentation for your organization
• Schedule a Be Smart gun safety presentation from your local Moms Demand Action group
• Ask your members to join the LWVIL GVP Google email group
• I use it to send occasional informational emails about relevant GVP issues
• Most importantly, I use it to send alerts for GVP witness slips.
• A TFA can take weeks for approval and distribution.
• We usually only have 24 hours or less to act on witness slips
• To join the LWVIL GVP Google group, send your email address to stanorjim@aol.com. Put “GVP Google Group” as the subject

72

Confronting Gun Violence In Illinois

Thank you

73

74

From the Feb 3, 2022

Trace Report Daily Bulletin

Nationally Chicago Is Not In The Top 10 for 2021 Gun Deaths

75

https://www.wlbt.com/2022/01/01/analysis-jacksons-rate-killings-per-capita-ranks-highest-us/?utm_source=The+Trace+mailing+list&utm_campaign=edd1142409-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_09_24_04_06_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f76c3ff31c-edd1142409-112413381

According to ABC 7 Chicago, because nearly 2.8 million people live in the Windy City, the rate per capita for that major city is 29 per 100,000 residents.