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"Assault weapons don't
belong on our streets," Blagojevich said. "They don't belong in our
state. And anyone who doesn't understand that just has to look at
the tragedies we saw in Chicago earlier this month. On March 3,
stray bullets from an AK-47 killed Starkesia Reed in her own home as
she was getting ready for school. Eight days later, Siretha White
was shot and killed by stray bullets as she celebrated her birthday.
We lost two children in two weeks -- and it happened because those
killers had access to assault weapons. We must ban these deadly
weapons -- and we must do it now." "We need to continue to attack
the crime problem from every angle. And one of the best ways is to
continue working for common-sense gun legislation in Springfield,"
said Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. "It is not about restricting
the rights of law-abiding citizens; it is about taking assault
weapons and semiautomatic guns off our streets, where they do not
belong."
"I have lost my precious ‘Nugget' to a deadly assault weapon that
had no business being in my neighborhood," said Siretha Woods,
mother of Siretha White. "She would be alive today but for the
deadliness of these weapons. Our family is so grateful for the
outpouring of support from Governor Blagojevich, Mayor Daley and
those in the state legislature that have shown care for the violence
being perpetrated in our homes. Please, in the name of Siretha
White, ban assault weapons in Illinois."
Following the event on Thursday, Blagojevich and victims'
families met with legislators still undecided about whether they
would vote for an assault weapons ban. Hundreds of other people who
attended the event visited the offices of Illinois General Assembly
members to lobby for support of the ban.
"The majority of law enforcement personnel and the public favor a
ban on assault weapons, and it is outrageous that the wishes of the
people cannot be carried out because of the money and pressure
influencing our legislators by the NRA and the gun industry," said
Gail Rice, whose brother Bruce VanderJagt, a Denver police officer,
was shot and killed in 1997 by an assault rifle. "I hope that
legislators will make the wishes of their constituents and the
safety of our neighborhoods their top priority and will vote
courageously to ban assault weapons."
House Bill 2414, sponsored by state Rep. Edward Acevedo,
D-Chicago, and state Sen. John Cullerton, D-Chicago, would prohibit
the manufacture, possession and delivery of semiautomatic assault
weapons, assault weapon attachments, large-capacity ammunition
feeding devices, and the .50 caliber rifle. Other banned weapons
would include UZIs, Colt AR-15s and TEC-DC9s.
"The tragic events in Englewood sadly demonstrate that assault
weapons have no place in our community," Acevedo said. "My heart
goes out to the victims and their families. We cannot let their
suffering be in vain. As a police officer, I can confirm that these
are dangerous weapons, used only for acts of terrorism and violence.
We must stand united against the gangs and criminals who use them to
wreak havoc in our neighborhoods and terrorize children and
families."
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 "When the federal ban on assault weapons expired in 2004, there
was broad consensus that it was working just fine," said Cullerton.
"It's not right for Illinois to allow laws permitting a dangerous
class of firearms that have no practical hunting, sporting or other
recreational use whatsoever."
"Assault weapons claimed the lives of two young children in
Englewood and to this day have yet to yield a single positive
benefit to our community," said state Sen. Jacqueline Collins,
D-Chicago. "We must move toward an assault weapons ban in order to
keep tragic incidents like those in Englewood from happening in the
future. People need to feel safe in their own homes. Children,
adults, households, neighborhoods and communities alike are seeing
the ill-effects of assault weapons, and it will only continue to get
worse if nothing is done at the state level."
"Assault weapons are a threat to the security of Illinois and its
citizens," said state Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Des Plaines. "Many of
these guns, including the .50-caliber sniper rifle, are designed for
military purposes and are powerful enough to pose a risk not only
for our residents but also for strategic targets in our state."
"As a gun violence victim myself, I have been so moved by the
outpouring of support for the families in Englewood by communities
all over the state," said Jennifer Bishop of the Brady Campaign.
"The message is clear: We need to get these vicious killing machines
called assault weapons out of the hands of civilians in Illinois.
While gun-lovers worry only about their industry profits, we have to
step up and protect our children."
Under the proposed legislation, possession of a .50-caliber rifle
or assault weapon would be a Class 3 felony for a first violation,
carrying a sentence of two to five years, and would be a Class 2
felony, carrying a sentence of three to seven years, for a second or
subsequent violation or for having two or more weapons at once.
Assault weapons fire bullets rapidly and can fire at multiple
targets, making them ideal for military use. For example, the larger
magazines allow a shooter to fire 20, 50 or even 100 rounds without
having to reload. Assault weapons have a high level of firepower,
can penetrate body armor and therefore pose a significant threat to
police as well as innocent bystanders.
"The Illinois State Police supports the governor's effort to ban
assault weapons here in Illinois," said Larry Trent, director of the
police agency. "Law enforcement officers across the state are on the
front line in the fight against crime. Unfortunately, they can find
themselves in the difficult position of being outgunned by drug
traffickers, gunrunners and gangbangers who have obtained weapons
illegally. This ban will help safeguard our citizens and police
officers from high-capacity semiautomatic weapons."
In September 2004, leaders in Washington, D.C., allowed the
federal assault weapons ban to expire, despite promises from
President Bush that he would renew the law. Since the federal ban
was lifted, the Chicago Police Department has seized over 500
assault weapons -- 400 in 2005 alone. In fact, just this past New
Year's Eve, the Chicago Police Department recovered 22 weapons,
including an AK-47 and MAC-10 with a 30-round clip and a laser-sight
weapon that would be banned statewide if lawmakers pass the pending
measure.
[News release from the governor's
office]
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