July 6, 2022 – In Breaking News – ABC 7 Chicago
So many questions are being raised about Illinois’ red flag laws following the deadly Highland Park Fourth of July parade shooting.
Are there possible cracks that the suspect may have fallen through when it comes to the law?
Police have said the assault-style rifle suspect Bobby Crimo III allegedly used in the Highland Park mass shooting was legally purchased, as were the other four guns Crimo owned.
That despite the state’s red flag laws, which some say could have been used to deny him a FOID card or to potentially take the weapons away.
(The man charged with killing seven people at a July 4 parade in Highland Park, Illinois, traveled to Wisconsin after the shooting and “seriously contemplated” another attack, police said at a press conference Wednesday. Authorities also said the 21-year-old has admitted to the killings and “went into details about what he had done” in an interview with investigators. Watch the press conference here. Courtesy of CBS News and YouTube.)
“Illinois has legislation in place, however, it’s woefully lacking and needs to have teeth to end mass shootings,” said Lori Ann Post, who has a Ph.D. from Northwestern University.
Post has studied mass shootings over the years and said the Highland Park shooting follows a familiar pattern, despite the state’s red flag laws.
(A rooftop gunman has killed several people after opening fire on crowds at an Independence Day parade in Chicago. The shooting has once again raised questions about whether there are enough measures in the US to improve overall mental health. But Lori Ann Post, a Professor of Emergency Medicine and gun violence researcher at Northwestern University, explains to The World why she thinks mental health screenings won’t stop mass shootings. Courtesy of ABC News (Australia) and YouTube. Posted on Jul 5, 2022.)
Most shooters put out plenty of warning signs.
In Crimo’s case, he attempted suicide in April of 2019.
Then, five months later police responded when he threatened to kill people in his home, leading them to temporarily confiscate 16 knives and other weapons. He also put out allegedly threatening social media messages.
“The firearms restraining order is useful in all these situations. Someone making threats, experiencing trauma and should not possess firearms,” said Rep. Denyse Wang Stoneback, 16th District.
Stoneback fought for funding to educate people about the red flag law. Since the law took effect in 2019, more than half of the red flag alerts statewide have been in DuPage County.
“I have no doubt the law has saved lives in DuPage County,” said DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin.
(After yet another senseless mass shooting, we remember the seven people killed at a July 4th parade in Highland Park, IL. Courtesy of MSNBC and YouTube. Posted on Jul 6, 2022.)
Continue reading… Illinois red flag gun laws: How the Highland Park parade shooter fell through the cracks
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