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Republican State Lawmaker Offers Gun Control Measures

via State Representative David McSweeney website

An Illinois lawmaker wants to give police officers more power to take away guns from someone who poses a threat. 

 Listen to a summary of the story.

State Representative David McSweeney says police in Florida didn’t have enough power to stop Nikolas Cruz from carrying out a mass shooting, despite dozens of reports about his behavior. The Republican from Barrington Hills says his legislation would keep that from happening in Illinois. 

Police could get a warrant to take guns if a court decides the owner is dangerous to himself or others — or if they believe there’s an immediate danger, they could take the weapons and justify their actions in court later.

McSweeney believes that could help police prevent a mass shooting.

“I think it’s a reasonable way of addressing an issue that is obviously so important. I mean, there’s so many cases beyond Florida of people who are a clear and present danger,” he said.

Lawmakers are also considering a bill to let family members ask a court to take away someone’s guns, but McSweeney says that power should be reserved for the police.

Copyright 2021 NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS. To see more, visit NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS.

I am currently a senior at Augustana College, majoring in Multimedia Journalism and Mass Communication with a minor in Creative Writing. I serve as the General Manager for WAUG.fm, Augustana's online student radio station and have worked as an intern and DJ at Studstill Media Group. I report on local news for WVIK and am honored and excited to be a part of the news team. I hope to pursue a career in radio broadcasting and an eventual master's degree in English or Communications.
Sam Dunklau