Chicago Police Confiscate 1,000 Illegal Guns Since Beginning Of Year
Umer Jamshaid Published February 22, 2018 | 09:20 AM
Chicago, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Feb, 2018 ) :One thousand illegal guns have been confiscated from the streets of Chicago so far this year, authorities in the Midwestern US city announced Wednesday.
The one thousandth firearm was taken from a repeat criminal who ran from police during a traffic stop overnight, police chief Eddie Johnson said. "That continues our average of seizing an illegal gun out of the hands of an offender for nearly every hour of the year," said Johnson, an advocate of stricter gun laws.
The grim milestone comes amid a national conversation over gun control sparked by the Florida school shooting last Wednesday that claimed the lives of 17 people. Once a model of tough gun regulations, the nation's third largest city has seen some of its laws struck down by courts and is grappling with an influx of illegal weapons from neighboring states.
"Whether there's guns that are trafficked illegally into our city from out of state, the easy access to illegal guns or the lack of accountability to prevent individuals from picking up a gun and using it, we can point to far too many examples where lives have been lost and families torn apart because of the availability of these weapons," Johnson said.
Chicago experienced an alarming spike in gun crimes and murders -- peaking at more than 750 murders in 2016. The city has since invested in more officers and new law enforcement methods to reduce the violence.
More than 60 percent of newly-acquired guns used to commit crimes in Chicago come from other states, especially Wisconsin and Indiana, according to a 2015 study by the University of Chicago. While the city still has a ban on assault weapons, a court ruling struck down its ban on handguns. Officials also have been forced by courts to allow the concealed carry of weapons with a permit.
Recent Stories
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 25 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 25 April 2024
Mired in crisis, Boeing reports another loss
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
Pakistan, Japan agrees to convene 'Economic Policy Dialogue'
FM Dar conveys deepest sympathy on torrential rains devastation in UAE
Spain PM Sanchez says weighing resignation after wife's graft probe
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - 1st update
Long-lost Klimt portrait auctioned off for 30 mn euros
Osaka seals first win on clay since 2022 in Madrid
Earthquake jolts Karachi
More Stories From World
-
Star Dudamel brings inclusive vision to New York Philharmonic
41 minutes ago -
Paris dream of swimming in the Seine finally within reach
1 hour ago -
Portugal's Carnation Revolution, 50 years on
1 hour ago -
Tough times for Argentine factories as consumers penny-pinch
1 hour ago -
Use of alcohol and e-cigarettes among youth 'alarming': WHO
1 hour ago -
Football: Italian Cup result
2 hours ago
-
Bird flu in humans? Experts see little risk
2 hours ago -
Car giants vie for EV crown at Beijing's Auto China show
2 hours ago -
Meta profits soar but costs of AI cause worry
2 hours ago -
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - collated
2 hours ago -
Football: French Ligue 1 results - collated
2 hours ago -
Meta sees profits soar in first quarter
2 hours ago