Washington — Did the new gun law passed by Congress prevent mass shootings at the July 4th parade in Illinois this week? Probably not.
Law-savvy experts and parliamentary aides can prevent anyone with a suspect's profile from passing a background check and being able to buy firearms. It states that the sex is low. But they say there is an indirect way the law could keep the gun away from him — if many dominoes had fallen in place.
This is just a fictitious exercise, but the slaughter at Highland Park on Monday killed seven people and injured more. This is one of the first opportunities to test for the most importantfederal gun law. One generation may have kept a deadly weapon in the hands of a 21-year-old suspect. Or, as defenders of gun violence claim, did it require stricter legislation?
The suspect had an encounter with a local law enforcement officer that led to the temporary confiscation of the knife, but had not been charged or convicted of a crime. In other words, it is likely that you have passed the FBI background check. An aide to the parliament said.
However, experts should contact the local law enforcement agency in the city in which they live (and disqualify) for important provisions of the law for gun buyers under the age of 21. (Including checking the criminal or mental health records of a boy) says that three checks are needed). This would have been enough to inform the Illinois police that the suspect was trying to buy a gun to keep firearms out of the way using the state's "danger signal" law.
"It's not clear if we banned purchases," said Nick Suplina, Senior Vice President of Legal and Policy at Everytown for Gun Safety. "But that could have led to other actions from law enforcement agencies, at least the flag that this young man threatening to kill his family and himself is buying a gun."
The suspect was known to the Highland Park Police. Officers visited his family's home twice in 2019.
The first visit took place in April of that year, and when law enforcement officials followed up on reports of his attempt to commit suicide,authorities stated thecase. Processed by a mental health expert.
In September 2019, police returned home after a family member reported that the suspect threatened to kill a relative. According to officials, 16 knives, swords and daggers were confiscated, but the suspect was not arrested because the family refused to sign the complaint.
When he was 19, he succeeded in applying for a gun license in December of that year, Illinois police said. His father sponsored his application. The suspect then passed a background check and was able to purchase five firearms in 2020 and 2021. This includes AR-15-style rifles that police say were used to shoot down dozens of parade participants and spectators celebrating Independence Day.
"Under the new law, he was under the age of 21, so he had to contact the local law enforcement agency as part of an enhanced background check. He was the local law enforcement agency. It's appropriate because it was known to Brian, a former executive director of Brady PAC, because law enforcement agencies came to his house on two separate occasions, one attempted to commit suicide. " Remek says.
"These visits may have been sufficient to trigger an extreme risk protection or danger signal law order allowing authorities to confiscate his gun." ..
Other provisions of the Federal Gun Law may have influenced a series of events, albeit indirectly. The main ones are funding grants that can be used to enforce the Hazard Signals Act. This has been said by the Democratic Principal Author to be more properly implemented in order to function.
The state of Illinois adopted theRed Flag Act in 2019which allows families and law enforcement officers to issue "firearm detention orders" to the court. Danger to yourself and others. However, despite threatening to harm himself and others, the suspect's case did not require an order.
"Irinoi has a danger signal law in books, but it's a less frequently used law," said Senator Chris Murphy, author of the Gun Law, Tuesday night. CNN. "This is an ineffective program. The bill we just passed in parliament a week and a half ago encourages states like Illinois to use the Danger Signals Act well for law enforcement agencies and first responders. Almost $ 1 billion has been allocated to help teach.
"If anyone knew how to use Illinois's Red Flag Act, I would have used it in this case. Indeed, this For young people, it looks like they had enough information to provoke courts, provoke law enforcement agencies, and get in and steal guns, "Murphy said. "The well-implemented Red Flag Act may have done the trick here."
Robin Lloyd, managing director of the gun safety group Giftords, has hundreds of millions of federal grants. The dollar has agreed to help the state strengthen and grow awareness of new and existing danger signal laws.
"Such a law in Illinois is only valid if it is enforced," Lloyd said in an interview. "If law enforcement agencies, families and other interested parties do not know about the law, it will not be used", "its effectiveness is limited."
Governor J.B. Pritzker's office According to data circulated by the Illinois State Police, the suspect's only criminal offense was a breach of possession of cigarettes in January 2016, and police had not received any reports of mental health regarding him.
The Governor's Office said that the September 2019 "Clear and Current Danger Report" was prepared in response to the threats he made, but he harmed himself and others. He added that he told the police that he was not willing to add. And after he claimed they were him, they returned the knife to his father.
"Unfortunately, every time a mass fire occurs, it's clear that our gun regulations often don't meet the strict standards that most Americans feel are commonplace. "It reminds me," Pritzker said in a statement.
"I learned from all Illinois about the Illinois Firearms Restraint Order Act already enacted by law and used it to warn authorities to dangerous individuals with guns. In the gun lobby, we will do everything we can to further strengthen the gun control and danger signal legislation. "
Pritzker further told Congress to" mass murder. " He called for regulation of "war weapons and high-capacity magazines that are only used," he said, although there may be strict gun regulations in Illinois, but "as safe as the state." The weakest laws — many of them border Ilinoi.
Igor Volsky, executive director of GunsDown America, an anti-gun violence advocacy group, said that gun buyers can still buy weapons like those used to carry out highland park attacks. Scandalous. " But he admitted that the new federal law does not provide for a ban on such guns.
"I knew from the beginning that I was talking about a fairly narrow series of reforms to gain bipartisan support," said the Senate with 50 Volsky Democratic Senators and 15 Republicans. Described the law passed.
"Obviously, we know that there are lifesaving provisions to prevent others from doing harm." But as a nation, we tighten gun regulations. I think we need to do more in that regard, "he said.