Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the city’s top law enforcement officials continued to struggle this week to clampdown on the escalating gun crisis sweeping the region; huddling to forge new ways to stem the spiraling violence.
According to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Chicago has the eighth strictest firearm ownership laws across the entire United States, yet the Windy City still saw a weekend where at least 12 were murdered and over 70 injured in a series of shootings.
Here are the gun restrictions currently in place in Chicago, Illinois:
Licensing: In order to own a firearm, all residents must obtain a Firearm Owners Identification Card at a cost of $10. To obtain the card one must be a US citizen with a valid driver’s license. Residents with a history of mental abuse, domestic battery charges, and other offenses cannot obtain the FOID.
Minimum Age: Residents must be 21-years-old. 18-year-olds can obtain a FOID with their guardian’s written permission.
Concealed Carry: Residents who have never been treated for substance abuse can apply for a concealed carry permit after taking at least 16 hours of firearm training and paying a $150 fee.
Waiting Period: The waiting period for rifles and shotguns is 24 hours and 72 hours for pistols or handguns.
Open Carry: Open carry is prohibited throughout Chicago.
Weapons Ban: The City of Chicago has banned at least 150 different types of firearms including: Semi-automatic handguns, detachable magazines, and other restrictions.
Gun Stores: Gun stores are strictly regulated throughout the city and residents can purchase one firearm every month.
h/t Fox News
GANGLAND CHAOS: Chicago Activists SHUT DOWN HIGHWAY to ‘Target Affluent’
Anti-gun protesters shut-down a major highway in the nation’s third-largest city Thursday, creating traffic chaos as Chicago police scrambled to contain the mass demonstrations.
According to the Associated Press, the planned march in the Windy City effectively stopped traffic along Lake Shore Drive, with demonstrators telling local news they’re “willing to be arrested” to highlight the region’s spiraling crime crisis.
Lake Shore Drive traffic shut down from Irving Park to Fullerton Ave. Ashland Ave and Western Ave can be used as alternative routes. #LakeShoreMarch
— Chicago Police (@Chicago_Police) August 2, 2018
Chicago highway closure latest US protest targeting affluent (from @AP) https://t.co/rV7fZLFVa9
— Roger Schneider (@RogSchneider) August 2, 2018
“I’m hoping we have enough to…block traffic, to be a disruptive force” said one of the event’s organizers. “This is an act of civil disobedience.”
“You want to go where they chill out and relax,” he added.
Read the full story at the AP.
GANGLAND: Chicago Activists Demand RAHM EMANUEL’S RESIGNATION as Violence Swirls
Chicago’s anti-violence activists are calling for the resignation of Mayor Rahm Emanuel ahead of this week’s citywide demonstrations; saying the liberal leader isn’t doing enough to stem the spike in violence and murder.
According to Fox News, organizers behind Thursday’s march are urging Emanuel to step-down as gun crime and gang warfare run rampant throughout Chicago’s neighborhoods.
“The call of the people is ‘Resign Rahm,’” said one local reverend. “So how, then, can you back your own regime change? How do you sanction your own termination? How dumb, naive and self-hating do you think we are?”
“Honestly, when the mayor endorses a protest, it’s no longer a protest,” said another activist. “It becomes a parade, and we’re on serious business.”
The anti-violence demonstrations come as Chicago residents flee the city as murder rates, robberies, and assaults escalate throughout the region.
Read the full report at Fox News.