Thursday, November 29, 2007
Special to suffredin.org

Chicago, IL – Citing the senseless loss of life resulting from random gun violence, Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin took a giant step today toward reducing the number of handguns on the streets of Chicago and Cook County by introducing an ordinance that would restrict the location where gun shops in suburban Cook County can operate.

“I am tired of business as usual.  I am tired of picking up the paper or turning on the news to see  reports about innocent children gunned down in cold blood, because some gang member bought a gun at their local gun shop,” Suffredin said. ”For nearly thirty years, I have fought for sensible gun laws.  Whether it was against the NRA or legislative leaders, I fought to pass laws to keep guns off our streets.”

“The documentation is clear that Chuck’s Gun Shop and similar stores in suburban Cook County are the source of guns that are used in violent crime throughout Cook County,” Suffredin said.  “As a home rule unit, Cook County has the legal right to regulate where these establishments are allowed to operate.  Chuck’s Gun Shop is within one mile of a school which will not be allowed once this ordinance passes.”

A 2004 study by the group, Americans for Gun Safety, reported that, based on statistics provided by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, between 1996 and 2000, 2,370 guns sold at Chuck’s Gun Shop had been used in a crime, one of which resulted in the death of a Chicago Police Officer.  Other Cook County gun shops were cited in the report as being peddlers of crime-linked firearms including, Suburban Sporting Goods, in Melrose Park.

Suffredin was joined at the press conference by Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina’s Parish, Jennifer Bishop of the Brady Campaign Against Gun Violence, Barbara McKee, President of the Illinois Million Mom March, Annette Holt, Ronald Holt, Gloria Padron, Serita Villareal, and Steve Young, all relatives of gun victims, Garrett Evans, Virginia Tech shooting survivor, and Jamie Barnett and Jason Daniels, of UCAN’s Visible Man Project.

“Finding a way to stop the flow of guns is critical to reducing the tragic loss of life in our communities,” Bishop said.  “How many children have to die before our leaders take the steps necessary to get guns off our streets? Commissioner Suffredin’s ordinance is long overdue.”

The proposed ordinance would amend the Cook County Deadly Weapons Dealer Control Ordinance and would:

• Remove the exemptions for municipalities, like Riverdale, that passed less restrictive ordinances in order to avoid the provisions of the existing Weapons Ordinance;
• Extend the restriction on gun shops within one mile of a school or park to all municipalities within Cook County.
• Increase the distance required between licensed weapons dealers from five to ten miles.
• Ban gun shows completely in Cook County.