Lake and McHenry County Scanner

State police close loophole in gun permit process revealed after Highland Park mass shooting

Posted: 19 Jul 2022 02:03 PM PDT

File Photo – Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly | Photo: Illinois Information Service

(The Center Square) – Gov. Pritzker and state police have filed a new rule that aims to close a loophole that allowed the Highland Park mass shooting suspect to legally buy multiple guns despite previous incidents.

Emergency rules announced Monday would allow “clear and present danger” reports to be maintained and used in the FOID process.

The suspect in the July 4 Highland Park mass shooting that killed seven and injured dozens bought his weapons legally in Illinois with a valid FOID card.

ISP granted the FOID card despite the suspect having been visited in 2019 by local police in response to a threat to his family.

Local police reported a clear and present danger to state police following the threat.

Earlier this month, ISP Director Brendan Kelly said state police had nothing else to act on to deny a FOID application, like a mental health prohibitor or a criminal record.

"All the things that are under the law that would be able to help us stop from issuing a [FOID] card, none of those were present at the time," Kelly said during a virtual news conference.

Shortly after the shooting when it was revealed local police had reported a clear and present danger to state police in 2019, Illinois State Rifle Association Executive Director Richard Pearson said a failure of the system "wound up being a disaster."

"Somehow those records have to be kept even though a person does not have a FOID card and applied to their application for a FOID card if they make one," Pearson said.

The emergency rules ISP announced Monday allows "use and maintenance of historic clear and present danger information even if the subject was not actively seeking or holding a FOID card at the time" such reports are made.

"These modifications to administrative law will immediately give the ISP the legal authority to consider more evidence when determining whether to issue or revoke a FOID card and will strengthen the ISP's ability to keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals," Kelly said in a statement.

Emergency rules go into effect when filed and then must go through the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, a legislative body tasked with overseeing the creation of administrative rules.

State Rep. Mark Batinick, R-Plainfield, supports the concept of the emergency rules and wants it codified.

Separate from that, Batinick wants to go further to hold parents accountable for sponsoring troubled youth getting a FOID card — another feature of the Highland Park shooting.

"If they're going to sign off on a young individual basically being able to buy guns, then they bear some responsibility, then that's what my bill does, it makes them criminally liable," Batinick said.

Current state law only allows civil liability against the parents if they sponsor someone under 21 to get a FOID card. Batinick's bill would add criminal liability in such cases.

Filed Friday, Batinick's House Bill 5769 has two other sponsors, state Reps Keith Wheeler, R-Oswego, and Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego.

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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker tests positive for COVID-19

Posted: 19 Jul 2022 11:02 AM PDT

File Photo – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker | Photo: Illinois Information Service.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who is fully vaccinated and doubled boosted, tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms, his office announced.

The governor’s office said in a statement Tuesday morning that Pritzker had been notified of several close contacts that tested positive for the virus.

Pritzker was tested during his routine COVID testing regimen and received a positive test.

The governor is experiencing mild symptoms and has been prescribed the anti-viral medication Paxlovid, the statement said.

“He will follow CDC guidelines by working from home. The Governor is fully vaccinated and double boosted,” the governor’s office said.

Pritzker said he urges Illinois residents to continue following CDC guidance, utilize anti-viral treatments and get all available boosters.

“He looks forward to returning to in person work as soon as possible,” the statement added.

Pritzker recently traveled to the White House with Highland Park’s mayor and a police commander to attend President Biden’s bill signing of gun control measures in the wake of the Highland Park mass shooting.

Pritzker then traveled to events in Maine and Florida after leaving Washington D.C.

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