(LEX 18) — After the fatal mass shooting in Highlands Park, Illinois, it was released that the accused shooter had been on police’s radar before. But he was legally allowed to buy guns anyway.
The accused shooter in the Highlands Park tragedy had been reported to police in September 2019 for making threats to “kill everyone,” according to Illinois State Police. During the run-in, police confiscated 12 knives, a dagger and a sword.
But the situation did not meet the threshold for the state’s laws which could prevent a person from buying firearms.
Gun laws in Illinois are strict compared to those in Kentucky. In Illinois, any person wishing to own a gun must be issued a permitby state police there. Crimo was under 21 years of age when he obtained his permit in December of 2019, so his father had to sign off on it.
Illinois also has laws that allow a person’s gun possession permit, or FOID, to be denied or revoked if there is a preponderance of evidence that that person is a danger to themself or others.
Kentucky does not require a permit to own guns. While background checks are federally required before buying a gun from a licensed seller there is no requirement in Kentucky for a background check when buying a gun from a private seller.
In most cases nationwide, convicted felons and those found by a court to have certain mental issues are prohibited from owning guns.
