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Jan. 11 (UPI) — Days after it passed the state’s House and Senate, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, D-Ill., signed a bill into law Tuesday night, banning high-powered, assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines.
“No Illinoisan should have to go through life fearing their loved one could be next in an ever-growing list of mass shooting victims,” Pritzker tweeted, after signing the bill.
The new law takes effect immediately.
The Illinois House of Representatives on Friday passed the bill known as the “Protect Illinois Communities Act.” It bans high-powered, assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines, as well as the sale, manufacture, delivery and purchase of assault weapons across the entire state.
Most individuals under age 21 are also prohibited from buying any type of firearm in the state.
The House voted 68-41 in favor, and the legislation passed through the Illinois Senate Monday with a 34-20 vote.
“I’m tired of living in a world where a mass shooting needs a title so you know which one we’re referring to. I just signed the Protect Illinois Communities Act, which immediately bans the sale and distribution of assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and switches in IL,” Pritzker tweeted Tuesday night.
Lawmakers discussed similar legislation for years. But the current regulations were created in the aftermath of a mass shooting north of Chicago during an Independence Day parade last year, which drew national attention.
The suspect in that case, Robert Crimo III, was arrested hours later. But scrutiny quickly fell on the man’s parents and their role in helping him obtain the assault-style rifle used in the attack, leaving seven people dead and dozens injured.
The suspect’s father, Robert Crimo Jr. was later arrested and charged with seven counts of felony reckless conduct.
The charges stem from Crimo Jr.’s role in helping his then-19-year-old son apply in 2019 for a firearm owners identification card in Illinois, which was issued in 2020 and used to acquire the assault-style rifle used in the parade shooting on July 4 in Highland Park, Ill.
“For a long time now, I and many other leaders in the Illinois General Assembly have prioritized getting the most dangerous weapons off our state’s streets,” Pritzker said in a statement Tuesday.
“Today, honoring the commitment we made, we passed one of the strongest assault weapons bans in the nation, one I will be proud to sign.”
