Illinois again leads nation in gun background checks

[December 15, 2022]  By Greg Bishop | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Illinois is on pace to lead the nation again this year for the number of firearm background checks and one legal expert expects the numbers will only increase.

FBI National Instant Criminal System firearm background check data by state shows Illinois leading the nation with nearly 4 million firearm background checks through November. That’s more than 300,000 more than second place Kentucky at 3.6 million checks.

For years, Illinois has led the country in checks, mainly because of the additional checks conducted through the state’s Firearm Owner’s Identification Card system.

U.S. LawShield President Kirk Evans said while the number of checks doesn’t necessarily equate to the number of guns being purchased, people buy more guns when there’s uncertainty.

“It’s usually during overall periods of uncertainty, so during COVID, the George Floyd riots,” Evans told The Center Square.

For all of 2020, when COVID stay-at-home orders were imposed and civil unrest followed Floyd's murder that summer, Illinois had around 7.4 million NICS firearm background checks, the most in the country. That was an increase from 2019’s 5 million checks, which also led the nation.

In all of 2021, Illinois saw about 8.4 million NICS firearm background checks, the most of all states and more than double Kentucky’s 3.8 million for the year. For the 2022 calendar year so far, the pace of checks in Illinois is leveling off with around 4 million and only December left to count. That’s still elevated from pre-pandemic levels of around 2.8 million checks in 2018.

Evans expects upward trends for Illinois, especially with the start of no-cash bail Jan. 1.

“I certainly expect if there are a number of people who see what they perceive to be folks getting out of jail after having committed a crime, that there’d be a rise in that uncertainty and there’d be a rise in gun ownership,” Evans said.

Supporters of the Pretrial Fairness Act provision of the SAFE-T Act contend the law, now modified with a net of detainable offenses, will make streets safer and have said opponents are fear mongering.

Another issue sure to increase gun sales, Evans said, is proposing bans on certain types of guns as Illinois House Bill 5855 would do. There’s sure to be plenty of legal uncertainty as well with expected lawsuits, he

“No matter what comes into play, there’s going to be a mish mash of legal decisions and so please pay attention and make sure you stay abreast of the laws,” Evans said.

Another hearing on HB5855 is scheduled for Thursday morning. The public can watch a live stream at the House Audio/Video page of ILGA.gov. An additional hearing is set for Dec. 20. The bill’s sponsor aims to pass it before Jan. 10.

Greg Bishop reports on Illinois government and other issues for The Center Square. Bishop has years of award-winning broadcast experience and hosts the WMAY Morning Newsfeed out of Springfield.