A state lawmaker wants to give Illinois police officers more power to take away guns from someone who might be dangerous.
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 — or if they believe there’s an immediate danger, they could take the weapons and justify their actions in court later.
“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 says that could help police prevent a mass shooting.
"People who are mentally ill should not have access to the guns, and this is an effective way of doing it while still preserving rights for other law-abiding citizens."
Police could also take guns WITHOUT a court order if they believe there’s imminent danger.
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.
