Ever since the mass shooting at a July Fourth parade in Highland Park, Illinois, which left seven people dead and dozens more seriously wounded, questions have been raised about whether the new federal gun safety law could have prevented the tragedy.
Would the enhanced background checks it requires for those under 21 have stopped the suspect, Robert"Bobby" Crimo III, from buying the high-powered rifle authorities said he used -- since he'd had two prior run-ins with law enforcement, including both a suicide threat and one to"kill everyone" in his family?
Advocates say more education and training, provided for in the new federal law, is needed for a red flag law to be used effectively. Illinois is one of 19 states with such a statute on the books, but Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said this week that they"must vastly increase awareness and education about this red flag law."
Three months later, Crimo did apply for a FOID card -- which is required for gun ownership -- and had his application sponsored by his father. State police approved the request in 2020, stating at the time"there was insufficient basis to establish a clear and present danger and deny the FOID application."
While Illinois has the eighth-strongest gun laws in the nation, according to Giffords, Lloyd noted that neighboring states have less restrictions and firearms can easily move across borders.
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