West Cook News

Illinois state Rep. Mike Zalewski wears his A+ rating from the Gun Violence Prevention group as a badge of honor.

“Proud to have achieved an A+ rating from the Gun Violence Prevention PAC,” Zalewski posted on Facebook. “As a former prosecutor, I remain committed to ensuring guns don’t fall into the hands of the wrong individuals.”

All across Illinois, 2020 was a violent and deadly year, according to ABC Chicago, with the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office reporting there were 875 people killed in gun violence, 78% of whom were Black.

“That is by far the highest total of gun-related homicides we have ever had,” said Natalia Derevyanny, spokeswoman for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. “The only time we came anywhere near that was in 1994 when we had 838 homicides due to gun violence."

Overall, shootings and murders were up more than 50% over 2020, with murders jumping to 769 from 419 the year before.

All the violence has Zalewski and other lawmakers pushing for tougher gun possession laws, including increasing minimum prison sentences for individuals illegally found to be in possession of firearms.

"In any situation, a carrier becomes a shooter," Zalewski, who co-sponsored the legislation along with Rep. Elgie Sims and Sen. Kwame Raoul, told WillRadio.TV.Online.com. "That’s how this happens. A gun doesn’t just magically fall in their hand right before they shoot."

All the violence has come despite Illinois being home to some of the strictest gun laws in the country. Besides having requirements that must be fulfilled prior to the firearms application process, gun permits can only be used for concealed carry, and the state completely outlaws the open carry of firearms within its territory.

In addition to banning the manufacturing and assembling of firearms, the state also has a 21-year-old age limit for possessing any firearms.