Democrat Illinois Governor Signs Bill Criminalizing Private Gun Sales in State
'That’s a deadly loophole, and in Illinois, we are closing that down for good'
© press
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, signed new legislation making it a criminal offense to sell guns privately if the buyer has not passed the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check.
As Gov. Pritzker signed the legislation, he described private gun sales as a “deadly loophole," The Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Pritzker said:
“Prior to this change people with dangerous histories who shouldn’t possess a weapon — and the Illinois State Police denies firearm licenses to thousands of these individuals a year — could avoid detection through a private sale."
"That’s a deadly loophole, and in Illinois, we are closing that down for good.”
© press
The new legislation will expand retail point-of-sale background checks also to include private points-of-sale.
According to a University of Chicago Crime Lab report, inmates arrested and jailed for gun crimes do not get their firearms from sources requiring background checks.
Crime Lab co-director Harold Pollack noted, “some of the pathways [regarding guns] people are concerned about don’t seem so dominant.”
The new universal background check legislation may have little impact on criminals obtaining firearms if you consider the Crime Lab findings.
© press
One must also note that though California has universal background checks, South Los Angeles shootings soared 742 percent during the first two weeks of 2021.
Although Colorado has universal background checks, a Boulder gunman acquired a firearm via background checks and killed 10 innocent people at a grocery store.
Here is a list of other mass shooters who obtained their firearms via background checks:
Atlanta-area attacker (March 16, 2021)
Parkland high school attacker (February 14, 2018)
Texas church attacker (November 5, 2017)
Las Vegas attacker (October 1, 2017)
Alexandria attacker (June 14, 2017))
Orlando attacker (June 12, 2016)
UCLA gunman (June 1, 2016))
San Bernardino attackers (December 2, 2015)
Colorado Springs attacker (October 31, 2015)
Umpqua Community College attacker (October 1, 2015)
Alison Parker’s attacker (August 26, 2015)
Lafayette movie theater attacker (July 23, 2015)
Chattanooga attacker (July 16, 2015)
Alleged Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal attacker (Jun 17, 2015)
Muhammad Carton Contest attackers (May 3, 2014)
Las Vegas cop killers (June 9, 2015)
Santa Barbara attacker (May 23, 2014)
Fort Hood attacker (April 2, 2014)
Arapahoe High School attacker (December 13, 2013)
D.C. Navy Yard attacker (September 16, 2013)
Aurora movie theater attacker (July 20, 2012)
Gabby Giffords’ attacker (January 8, 2011)
Fort Hood attacker (November 5, 2009)
Northern Illinois University attacker (February 14, 2008)
Virginia Tech attacker (April 16, 2007).
