America Must Rise to the Challenge of Ending Gun Violence

I join the families, friends, and community of Highland Park in grieving the horrific massacre on July 4th. Angry, socially disconnected young men with ready access to firearms has proven once again to be a deadly combination.

As we learn more information about the shooting, it is becoming clear that Illinois's laws have failed to keep us safe. The shooter received a FOID card after threatening to murder his family. That is an egregious failing that must be remedied.

We need to fix our FOID laws to prevent people who have made overt threats of violence from buying firearms. And we need to ban assault rifles and high capacity magazines, weapons that are designed primarily for mass murder.

I look forward to working closely with my colleagues to strengthen these laws. And I hope that this latest horrific tragedy spurs our leaders in Washington to further action. The staggering death toll from gun violence is a uniquely American crisis, and America must rise to the challenge of ending it, together.

If you're struggling to process this tragedy and you need someone to talk to, I’d encourage you to call the NAMI Information Line at 800-950-NAMI. It's a great resource for information and referrals.

Sincerely,

Will