32 Comments - The Real Downstate - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 3:16 pm: The GOP has shown time and again that those numbers are not high enough for them to do anything about these violent deaths. The NRA and others in the gun lobby have bought their silence and inaction. - Publius - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 3:23 pm: Last night at the debate some made it seem like this is only a Chicago problem. This is a nationwide problem. https://www.txgunsense.org/articles/texas-gun-violence-facts If I look at this map Texas has a higher rate than Illinois. Most of the states close to us have a much higher rate. Again no mention of these sorts of facts. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/firearm_mortality/firearm.htm - Amalia - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 3:25 pm: yes, mass shootings are deeply upsetting. but all the deaths from violence using a gun are indicative of a Federal government that won’t take action. On firearms, at the very least, Universal Background Checks and Ban Assault Weapons. - Mister Ed - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 3:28 pm: I believe in the 2nd amendment; however, the age requirement could be raised. You have to be 21 to drink or rent a car but can buy a rifle at 18. You take a course to drive a vehicle to get a license but none to buy a gun. Drinking age was raised due to public safety, drunk drivers. I remember the same conversation at a tavern when a military soldier came in. He was under 21 but was being deployed. Ya, I gave him a beer. See my point? - Question - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 3:30 pm: Which states have proportionally fewer mass shootings (vs. population) and what can we learn from them? - Pot calling kettle - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 3:32 pm: As a country, we need to do some big things: 1) Stop putting guns on a pedestal and pretending they are a go-to solution for everything from personal self-defense to maintaining a free society. (Compare the U.S. to other developed countries to see why.) 2) Amend the Constitution to allow limitations on gun ownership. 3) Universal background checks, licensing, and registration. And, limitations on the number of guns purchased and owned. I think #1 is probably the most important (and difficult). The Texas approach of more guns with no limitations is not a good one. Full disclosure: I am a long-time gun owner and shooting sports instructor. - clec dcn - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 3:38 pm: Guns in the wrong hands are a problem. I wonder if it is more related to life situations. Mental health stability, social problems, constant bombardment of media and text. It is too much information at once but getting a gun and shooting a bunch of folks gives one power and control at least for a short time. I am not against guns but we need to think from all angles to combat the problem There is no one easy fix or even several. It will take more than anyone expects. - Elliott Ness - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 3:40 pm: Wonder if those arrested on existing gun law violations are in jail or have been released without enforcement or punishment? Do we need more laws? Are we enforcing existing laws and holding those who violate those laws accountable? Law ENFORCEMENT is as important as passing laws. Not saying we do not need additional laws but will they be enforced? - Paddyrollingstone - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 3:41 pm: This is all so mind-numbing. It hurts me to say, but I am ashamed of my country. - DuPage Saint - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 3:42 pm: I don’t know much about social media the murderer in Texas seems to have posted what he was going to do. Don’t these companies monitor what gets posted? Maybe they should be mandatory reporters and notify police or homeland security. The Supreme Court ruled that reasonably regulations are allows do keep passing laws require proof of insurance training whatever no guns are allowed in government buildings or courts what a surprise - H-W - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 3:44 pm: @ TheRealDownstate - It would seem the NRA has also effectively bought a sympathetic U.S. Supreme Court that is prepared to rule that the states and municipalities have in practical terms, no authority to regulate access to weapons, nor to regulate what types of weapons are permitted. There is a perverse logic involved when some choose to blame Chicago politicians and state officials for the fact that there are too many weapons on our streets and in our homes. Local police cannot get the weapons off the street without more legal authority to do so, which the NRA works continuously to prevent. Anyone can buy a weapon, or gift one to their children, and anyone can own an unlimited supply of weapons, and an unlimited cache of rounds and clips. The NRA guarantees that there will always be more weapons on our streets than the stars in the sky. And too many citizens have been led to believe that “red flag warnings” are evil, even though they insist that mass murderers are obviously sick. And yet, when mass murders occur each week, these same people say, “guns don’t kill people,” or worse, “we need to militarize the schools and require teachers to receive training on how to kill and conceal carry.” It’s perverse logic that allows mass murders to fester in our society. We did not always have mass murders (despite the false arguments of some). But we do have them now, and the number of mass shootings and killings is growing. - SWIL_Voter - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 3:50 pm: More guns per capita than anywhere on earth. No mental health infrastructure. Minimal economic safety net, pushing people into desperation. This will keep happening. - Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 3:57 pm: Police could implement stop, question and frisk to help get illegal guns off our streets and out of the hands of those who cannot legally carry them. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 3:58 pm: === stop, question and frisk=== Love to see them do that on Michigan Ave. lol - FYI - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 4:07 pm: Giffords Center rates Illinois an A- on gun control laws. 8th best in the country. - Huh? - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 4:08 pm: LP - how did stop and frisk work in NY? Using the google key, NY lost several lawsuits over stop and frisk. - JS Mill - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 4:09 pm: =I believe in the 2nd amendment;= What about the other 26 amendments? Or the 7 articles? Also, the 2nd Amendment contains the words “well regulated”. So guns can be regulated. I am a CCL carrier and avid hunter. ==== stop, question and frisk==== So LP does not support the Constitution? Not a surprize. Maybe read the 4th Amendment. - H-W - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 4:13 pm: @ Lucky - Actually, they cannot. It would violate privacy rights, unless the police decide to stop, question and frisk everyone, or randomly stop and search people throughout their municipality. The police cannot safely assume that “certain types” are more likely to conceal carry illegally, without. Profiling on the basis of “social class” is a false assumption when it comes to conceal carry, and almost certain to be overturn by our current, Federal judiciary. - H-W - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 4:16 pm: Please pardon my numerous typos. of late. It must be all this Illinois water I am drinking. - Anonymous - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 4:17 pm: . - thoughts matter - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 4:26 pm: I watched part of the Gov. Abbott press conference today. His main concern seemed to be the lack of a building In the area devoted to mental health. All while commenting that the gunman had no known mental health issues. I don’t believe he wants to do anything about the actual problem. Other people have said armed security and metal detectors are needed. This school had security. The gunman got past him. A metal detector beeping wasn’t going to stop him. Unless it came equipped with a fence that won’t open if you set off the metal detector. Both security and metal detectors cost a lot of money. It’s hard time get a property tax referendum passed to benefit the schools as it is. Illinois has 800 school districts if I remember correctly? How many buildings is that? We need to identify why the teenage gunmen feel compelled to buy weapons and use them on other children. Correct that and also make it harder for teenagers to buy assault rifles. - illinifan - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 4:27 pm: What purpose would stop and frisk serve? People are able to conceal carry. In some states no permit needed. Then there is the arm everyone mentality. Well we are armed and that does nothing. And if we have armed personnel at schools and everywhere, the bad guys are now wearing body armour and are not affected by standard weapons, so I guess the answer will be arm us all with bazookas. We yell mental health, but don’t fund it. Monitor social media, but by th time we find a post of concern the person has already acted. The only way change will occur is if we change our core value set. We need to value life more than we value guns. - 47th Ward - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 4:38 pm: Mass shootings seem to fall into two broad categories, criminals with illegally obtained weapons shooting at other people, and severely disturbed people with legally obtained weapons shooting at other people. Surely we can find common ground on solutions aimed at these broad categories? The middle position on firearms regulation is huge. Those of us in the center should ignore the extremes on both side and deal with this like adults. It’s a Constitution, not a suicide pact. - Streator Curmudgeon - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 4:46 pm: It boils down to a sickening equation in the eyes of the NRA: All lives lost in mass shootings with assault rifles are an acceptable trade-off for the right to own assault rifles. It’s ugly and outrageous to watch the anger by Republicans after such a shooting, but a mentally ill person without a gun is not a mass killer. And, despite the promises, has mental health care gotten better anywhere in the country since the Reagan administration? - MisterJayEm - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 5:11 pm: “Which states have proportionally fewer mass shootings (vs. population) and what can we learn from them?” The five states with the lowest gun death rates, in deaths per 100,000, are also the five states with the lowest gun ownership rates in the U.S. While the order may shift from year to year, the lowest gun death rate states are: Massachusetts New York New Jersey Hawaii Rhode Island So the answer to your question is: states with strong gun control laws that are immediately adjacent to other states with strong gun control laws. And an island. – MrJM - Nearly Normal - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 5:16 pm: Cardinal Cupich–The Second Amendment did not come down from Sinai. As I reflect on this latest American massacre, I keep returning to the questions: Who are we as a nation if we do not act to protect our children? tinyurl.com/ymbr2ym - Suburban Mom - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 6:49 pm: “Which states have proportionally fewer mass shootings (vs. population) and what can we learn from them?” That they’re in Canada - Blue Dog - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 7:51 pm: Have been waiting to weigh in. Am a lifetime member of the NRA. AND WILL CONTINUE. there can be age restrictions on the types of gun ownership. There can be mandatory educational requirements on types of gun ownership. There can be limits on magazine capacity. I am ok with reasonable waiting periods FOID cards are useless in general. I pray for those affected. - G'Kar - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 8:19 pm: Maybe just a start would be to stop the selling of body armor to the general public. It is not a gun, so the 2nd amendment does not apply and maybe, just maybe, it would take away the thought that “I am in invincible” from a would be mass shooter. - Demoralized - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 9:13 pm: Maybe someone can explain to me someday why anyone should be able to buy magazines that can hold 30 rounds. Because that’s what this current shooter had. Ban high capacity magazines. Period. - DuPage - Wednesday, May 25, 22 @ 10:27 pm: Enforce laws against felons carrying a gun. Prison time. - Blue Dog - Thursday, May 26, 22 @ 8:31 am: -Ban high capacity magazines. Period.- Nope lol. pretty sure you aren’t in any position to demand anything. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.