Illinois officials ignore mass-shooting risks: 1,800 Cook County residents deemed “clear and present danger” still hold FOID cards – Wirepoints

By Matt Rosenberg

One of the reasons the Highland Park shooter was able to perpetrate the horror he did on July 4th was that Illinois’ authorities failed to maintain his “clear and present danger” designation. It was assigned by police after visits to his home three years prior. For ample reasons. The discarding of the warning was a failed opportunity to stop a tragedy.

But here’s the scary thing. While Illinois politicians continue to push for new gun laws, they’re allowing the potential for additional tragedies to occur by not enforcing laws already in place. 

Take the revocation of FOID cards from felons and other high-risk card holders. Nearly 20,000 FOID cards have been revoked in Cook County for felonies, protection orders, and other reasons – under state law. But they have yet to be turned in or seized from their owners, and that includes more than 4,000 residents deemed a “mental health concern.” 

Many still have guns. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office says that more than 24,000 weapons have not been surrendered or seized from the revoked card holders.

How is that even possible in a state and a society which proclaims “never again” after a tragic and horrific mass shooting like that in Highland Park? It only takes one of those FOID licensees to lose their mental bearings for another large-scale tragedy to unfold. Just one.

There are 1,800 among the 20,000 revocation targets in Cook County who are designated a “clear and present danger” – the same worrisome classification that local police in 2019 gave the eventual Highland Park shooter. The state police bureaucracy rejected that designation for the shooter because he did not then hold a FOID card. But with seven victims buried, the state has updated its rules.

A disturbing bureaucratic inertia

Illinois law specifies exactly how FOID cards can be revoked for various reasons. An especially frequent reason in Cook County is a felony conviction or indictment. Other major grounds for revocation in Cook County and Illinois are mental health concerns or the granting of a court protection order against a permit holder. 

Once revoked, the card and associated weapons must be surrendered within 48 hours. If not, local law enforcement are supposed to petition a local circuit court judge to search the holder’s home and seize the card and any firearms held under that permit. 

With nearly 20,000 FOID cards outstanding, that clearly hasn’t been happening.

Yet failure to enforce existing gun laws, at great risk to the public, hasn’t stopped politicians from proposing new gun laws in the wake of Highland Park. Both of Illinois’ senators, the state’s governor, and the nation’s Vice-President all called for an assault weapons ban

All of them ignore the fact that the tragedy could have been prevented under existing law.

It’s a fundamental hypocrisy. Officials want to confiscate more guns from law-abiding citizens through an as-yet unapproved assault weapons ban, but they cannot or will not confiscate already-revoked licenses and firearms, including from extremely high-risk license holders. 

At the Springfield legislative hearings last week on FOID revocation troubles, at least one witness who testified was able to identify the biggest problem clearly. 

As the Sun-Times reported, Scott Pulaski, owner of Piasa Armory in Alton, Illinois, told lawmakers: 

Enforcement of existing laws needs to come first. It is great to pass more laws, and it absolutely shows that the legislators care and that they’re doing something. But if the prosecution or law enforcement aren’t able to or can’t or don’t want to enforce those laws, then it does not add anything to prevent or deter crime to pass a million new laws.”

Exactly.

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Stone Washington
1 year ago

This article provides a stunning and eye-opening assessment of the many Illinois residents preserving illegal firearms despite having received revoked gun licenses. The numbers on this are very troubling. With all that is known about the MO of mass shooters, this issue deserves immediate attention.

James William Dwyer
1 year ago

Why enforce the law when you can grandstand every time there is a mass shooting. Actually there is a mass combined shooting every weekend in Chicago, but the politicians won’t do anything about that. When I was a police reporter for the Daily Calumet, a 13-year-old kid killed the owner of a local store with an automatic eight. The cops told me that the pols can pass all the gun control laws they want, but the gangs will always get them.

Steve Harvey
1 year ago

Reading Matt Rosenberg’s article makes obvious the gross negligence and incompetence of Illinois law enforcement and bureaucrats in enforcement of current gun laws. How many lives are lost each year due to the inaction of law enforcement’s failure to act on existing laws? All the laws in the world will not stop gun violence without proper enforcement.

Sandi
1 year ago

Matt it is a great article. I have my own views on this subject but I will say having worked as an Advocate in Domestic Violence and dealt with gun/FOID cards during that time and being a FOID card holder myself, passing “new” gun laws will do very little. If the states attorney (Kim Foxx) is not going to enforce any laws why should the criminals be concerned?! Do I feel all citizen and legal gun owners have to have an AR not really BUT it is their right. Not all of the shootings involve them. This issue is not… Read more »

Last edited 1 year ago by Sandi
James Watkins
1 year ago

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. It is quite shocking. I appreciate the enlightenment.

Chris
1 year ago

Why would they actually enforce the seizing of foid cards? I mean, that would not be an attention grabber on the 6:00 news. “Hear ye, hear ye! We’ve decided to enforce the actual laws!” Nope, our people in charge have turned into virtue signaling media whore hounds. Also, is it possible they don’t want to take foid cards because taking many of these would be from persons of color and they would be deemed racist?

Jay
1 year ago

Talk about misdirection. Is the lack of prosecution & follow-through the result of the Foxx tenure, Soros-financed? Or is it lack of manpower? This is the infrastructure part of the equation, along with putting boots on the ground, preferably utilizing the National Guard, working in conjunct with neighborhood grass-roots organizers like Pastor Corey Brooks. Get it going!!

Molly
1 year ago

Enforce the laws already on the books before enacting new ones that still won’t be enforced. (No reason to think the new ones will be enforced.)

Kathie Mahoney
1 year ago

Owning a gun is a huge responsibility. I own a gun. I have a FOID card, a Conceal Carry Card & gun owners insurance. I carry with me when I leave the house. I am disabled, so I am not taking chances in getting mugged or killed. To know there are existing laws that are not being enforced is frustrating, because, theses laws have been on the books for years. The democratic liberal left progressive communist party never works with existing laws, they only bluster & want new laws that do nothing. All bluster, fighting for new laws while not… Read more »

Alex
1 year ago

It’s almost like guns are not the totality of the issue. Far too often, political considerations are motivated by the need to “do something,” or to appear to be doing something. It doesn’t really matter if that something is useful or worthless. A known threat slips through the bureaucratic net and not a thing will happen to the parties involved, not even a “don’t do that.”

Marsha Familaro Enright
1 year ago

I do think they rather make up reasons to take all guns away. Instead, teachers need conceal carry, then those maniacs won’t go to schools.

P.C. Noble
1 year ago

I don’t even know what an FOID card is. Could politicians be likewise in the dark? Thank you, Matt, for pointing out this existing law that could curb gun violence. Now we just need to get this article into the right hands.

Kathie Mahoney
1 year ago
Reply to  P.C. Noble

A FOID card is a Firearm Owner’s Identification card. We need one in Illinois & I think 3 other states to buy guns. It’s an infringement upon 2A.

Victor Martin
1 year ago

The existing gun laws will never be enforced in this state. Politicians use gun violence as a means to remain in office, by promising to enact more gun laws that’s never going to be enforced. Cost and manpower is the next elephant in the room. Who’s going to pay for all of this? The State? The county? The city? Nothing will ever change until you get rid of these useless politicians, and spineless judges.

Ace Avenger
1 year ago

Matt, Cook County does not enforce the gun laws we have on the books now. The amount of UUW (unlawful of of a weapon) arrests by the Chicago police department are very high and frequent. The issue is one of accountability and consequence as these gun offenders are right back out on the street unlawfully carrying new guns and with more emboldened criminal behavior. For the amount of gun arrests made daily it is pointless to even ask an offender for a FOID card. The problem is bigger than anyone really thinks.

Hale L DeMar
1 year ago

Why not just impose harsh sentences for those who own a gun and use it as an offensive weapon? Mandatory Sentencing and Swift Punishment, nothing more is required !

J Piest
1 year ago

Last place I worked for we had a guy threatening to shoot up a bank. Part of my investigative process was to submit Clear and Present Danger paperwork to ISP. Didn’t meet criteria and FOID wasn’t revoked. Most recently ISP did pull a FOID on a Reckless Discharge case I had but they have no mechanism in place to seize FOID or firearms for that matter. The only reason they got involved was due to a politically juiced Chief and the fact the guy made a taped statement threatening to kill me to another agency. Even with that they only… Read more »

Hale L DeMar
1 year ago

We need to build facilities similar to Guantanamo; isolated, secure and heavily monitored/guarded. If the government would put these Animals in cages and treat them like the beasts that they are, the citizenry might be able to ‘take a nice deep breath’. It’s the government’s job to ‘protect the citizens’ of our country, not to coddle hundreds of thousands of violent criminals who are beyond saving. It is not our job as Americans to rehabilitate career and violent criminals. Law & Order …. We pay for, Provide it !

George
1 year ago

Illinois has the toughest gun laws on the books
Amazing that they cannot follow there own rules
Great article

Nikki
1 year ago

Matt, thank you for a thoughtful approach, rather than the transient, reactionary hysteria that follows such tragedies. You are correct – let’s start with implementing what we have in place already.
Rendering the police force to be powerless has not helped.

Rhonda
1 year ago

I raised my daughter in Highland Park and this really affected her. What I’m most appalled by, but not surprised by, is that there are 1800 known dangers out there who have FOID cards. We are a worldwide joke with our gun obsession.

Jim Stramaglia
1 year ago

If there ever was an individual who was a clear snd present danger, it was the Highland Park shooter. New gun laws won’t change the fact that the dots are not always connected in society. The Central Planners in Springfield should concentrate on repealing the Safe T Act instead of enacting more restrictive gun laws.

Ellen Day
1 year ago

The Highland Park shooter had some help from his father who sponsored his son for a FOID card. The weapons were legally purchased, and I believe his father (Crimo, Sr.) is equally culpable. He knew his son was considered a “clear and present danger” by the Highland Park Police Department. Illinois has some of the most restrictive gun laws, yet as some of the other readers and commentors have pointed out, you have numerous progressive prosecutors that refuse to prosecute the offenders. Many offenders/defendants are no strangers to the criminal justice system, and yet they are released on very low… Read more »

Matt Guerreiro
1 year ago

Failing to adequately enforce existing gun laws is a big issue, even in anti-gun states like Illinois. In my own experience, here in NYC, I once failed to renew my shotgun and rifle permit through an oversight. Two NYC uniformed policemen showed up at my house and told me to surrender my guns, which I did, of course. Renewing my permit and retrieving my guns was an administrative nightmare, but I did it. The most awkward bit was exiting One Police Plaza with two long guns in an obvious gun case trying to hail a yellow cab to go home.

debtsor
1 year ago
Reply to  Matt Guerreiro

It’s a two tiered legal system where people like you are punished, but the government’s favorites – currently BIPOC – are released without charges. This is by design and done completely on purpose.

Isaac Meyer
1 year ago

There has to be triage on the confiscation of weapons. Protection orders, then felons in possession and then mentally ill. There needs to be more warrant teams and they need to better resourced.
I was threatened a long time ago while doing an account collection. I asked for police assistance and they were very fast in responding.
There is no valid reason for so many FOID revocations to be open.
They need to be treated as an imminent danger.

Michael Krull
1 year ago

Another failure of government to protect citizens. One would almost think that this is on purpose in order to drive a political narrative that gun owners are deranged maniacs and a threat to society so that the public call “to do something” following a tragedy is to pass additional restrictive gun laws. Local journalists should track the progress on securing these guns (as outlined by Mr. Rosenberg) so that citizens may in turn put pressure on their elected representatives to make sure the job gets done. One of the most elemental tasks of government is to protect citizens – and… Read more »

Torr
1 year ago

And yet Congressman Sean Casten blathers on sand in about gun violence while the killing fields of Chicago, just 20 miles east of his home, continue to blossom.

debtsor
1 year ago
Reply to  Torr

Congressman Sean Casten wants to take your guns away so he can abuse you. He depises your kind and he hates your beliefs. He knows that the vast majority of guns – tens of millions of them – are lawfully used. But he wants to take them all away so he can run roughshod over your liberties and values. Red states were some of the least locked down places in the entire world. Florida was probably the most open political entity in the world – even more open than Sweden which mostly, but not entirely, stayed open. Contrast that with… Read more »

Preston
1 year ago

A few years ago, when speaking with a Chicago SWAT officer, it occurred to me to ask him about arresting those felons who have FOID cards and firearms, too. One news report had said that the police were going to concentrate on doing just that before a holiday that usually portended higher violence and crime than at many other times, right around the 4th of July festivities. He told me they were continually doing just that, concentrating on taking guns out of the hands of felons, and so on, but that the court system was all messed up, and it… Read more »

David Pearling
1 year ago

As we have come to expect, Matt Rosenberg has nailed It is clear that Illinois pols, and pols across the USA are playing to the presstocricy: the print and broadcast media that is mostly staffed by nitwits who do little more than parrot each other’s nonsense every day. How many times following mass shootings have we heard that if already existing laws had been enforced the killings would not have occurred? We rarely hear it. Politicians, knowing that they can pander to a sponge-like media, instead trot out more proposed laws that will not be enforced. Politicians know about Hitler’s… Read more »

Christopher Gould
1 year ago

A “fundamental hypocrisy” indeed. Good points in this piece that local sheriffs and police chiefs should read and consider. Perhaps local journalists can detail with them what they have done to enforce the existing law related to confiscation?

Josh
1 year ago

Another terrific piece. Enforce existing laws before even thinking about passing new ones, that burden law abiding gun owners.

Chisel
1 year ago

Fundamental hypocrisy, well stated.
It’s absurd to believe criminal or unstable minded individuals will voluntarily turn in their FOID card and weapons once revoked.
Then figure in the revolving door of Kim’s criminals and felons, released back into the populous Daley, with no repercussions.
Like the world’s greatest gun salesman, Barack Obama, with more restrictions proposed, another surge in sales and ownership is on the way.

Joey Zamboni
1 year ago

Every time someone on that list commits a gun crime, sue the state for knowingly failing to enforce the *clear & present danger* designations….

It’s time to stop eroding more liberties to gain a false sense of security…

Go after the ones that need to be held accountable for their failures to provide equal protections under the law…

Tom
1 year ago

Once again the government machine has failed us. It is probably the most common thread in a mass shooter event. This is not only a problem for Illinois but for every state in the union. If the NCIS system is not updated it is worthless. Matt great article keep them coming !

Jerald L Dyson
1 year ago

There is a very very good reason why existing laws are not enforced, and actually ignored…and that reason is, there is nothing very dramatic about enforcing existing laws. There are no public soundbites for politicians, no hand wringing, no empty meaningless “thoughts and prayers” — and no independent media that will cry foul against the establishment in Illinois. The result is tragic and scary.

Joey Zamboni
1 year ago
Reply to  Jerald L Dyson

I agree…

These headlines are just more virtue signaling & sensationalizing to foster fear among the electorate…

Hale L DeMar
1 year ago

It wasn’t long ago that I walked in to Mitch Shores Gallery to buy my first ‘home protection’, pursuant to a very unpleasant event which occured in the middle of the night, only hours before. In order to buy that gun I had to fill out six pages of documents, prove identity and then wait for the State to authorize the sale ! Signing up for the C & C was easy, no wait at all. But the tectonic change in random violence has created a massive market for the gun manufacturers and all those Gun Stores owned and operated… Read more »

Donna S
1 year ago

You make a good point.

Don Moran
1 year ago

If existing laws were actually enforced, we not only wouldn’t need new ones, we’d likely need less of the redundant ones that already burden law abiding citizens in Illinois from protecting themselves.

vonderhammer
1 year ago

Matt Rosenberg again brings it with his FOID Table straight from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. Each line item is part and parcel of the current ATF Form 4473. Additional line items on the form are dishonorable military discharge, domestic violence, renouncing of citizenship, drug addiction, stalking, and illegal entry into the United States. In short, we have laws regarding gun ownership at FFL points of purchase as well as clear and present danger.Avoidance and obfuscation rear their heads when the left is presented with data such as that provided in the table. As Illinois Native son, Carl Sandburg presciently… Read more »

Tim Favero
1 year ago

The problem with politicians is that they keep on talking about new gun confiscation laws and then they get bleeding hearts to think that these news gun laws are going to keep society safe. Except that they never get these laws enforced, like you said Matt.

Bill F Edley
1 year ago

In 1989, I was one of only 2 Illinois House members from downstate voting to ban assault weapons. I remain convinced they should be banned. However, banning assault weapons will NOT meaningfully reduce violent crimes. We should be able to walk and chew gum at the same time…meaning… enforce our existing laws effectively AND reduce access to assault. weapons

Mark
1 year ago
Reply to  Bill F Edley

Instead of banning lets call them home,and family defense weapons

Fur
1 year ago
Reply to  Bill F Edley

You have no idea what an assault weapon even is.

Thomas Mcclaughry
1 year ago

Creating more gun laws is counter productive. The only ones who may follow them are the good guys NOT the bad guys, including those who are mentally incapable FOID cards or no FOID cards. It take a mentally unstable person to shoot and kill for no apparent reason. It’s surely hadn’t been a case towards protecting oneself in Highland Park nor in the Texas mass shooting. Also, who determines who’s competent? Government? Now, that’s scary in itself, for they’ve determined a sporting rifle is an assault rifle and an automatic, too. Until the existing laws on the books are enforced… Read more »

Lin Cappozzo
1 year ago

I must admit that when politicians come to the microphone and angrily state sticker gun laws I chuckle. True it’s a horrible reaction. I tend to call bs when I see and hear bs. These same politicians scream at us about Black Lives Matter. Yet anyone living in the Chicago area sees and hears about the daily shootings and killings of mostly blacks. Innocent lives snuffed out. Babies being killed in crossfire. And we become numb. Yesterday the media showed a clip of an eighty year old man who fought back against armed robbers. The perp left the establishment screaming… Read more »

David C
1 year ago

I’m guessing most of the armed criminals are known to the public and the police. It’s much easier to pass a new law that instantly turns law abiding citizens into criminals than it is to disarm, prosecute and punish the people we know are criminals right now.

Old Joe
1 year ago

Until these incidents start happening in Catholic churches Kim will not admit that she has a mass shooting problem.

Robert Chambers
1 year ago

I agree with the points you make. They, the politicians and others in positions of authority, care nothing about criminals, and people with mental issues having guns. They only want to take the guns from the honest law abiding citizens. As for the Highland Park shooter, the mayor of Highland Park was in DC after the shooting demanding more gun laws. And I have read the mayor was this kids boy scout leader. His father signed paperwork stating that it’s okay for his kid to have a FOID card again after the kid threatened to kill his family and his… Read more »

Last edited 1 year ago by Robert Chambers
Dan
1 year ago

The Left is devoid of ideas other than the taking of more liberties and rights. Once in place, it’s nearly impossible to revoke.

I am seriously suspicious of any politician given the responsibility of deciding who is mentally stable enough to own a gun. What could go wrong with that?

Last edited 1 year ago by Matt Rosenberg
Dan
1 year ago
Reply to  Dan

Sorry for the phone typos.

Neil Chernoff
1 year ago

This is a national problem — too many laws and not enough enforcement. In NYC they have very strict gun laws. Illegal possession of a firearm is a felony with a mandatory minimum of 2 1/2 years in prison and a maximum of 15 years. They pick up around 400 people a month and charge them with illegal weapons possession. About 60% are pleaded down to a misdemeanor with minimal penalties. They will not tell us about the disposition of the rest of the people. The House Assault Weapons ban just passed last week makes it illegal to make, sell… Read more »

Steve H
1 year ago
Reply to  Neil Chernoff

You hit the nail on the head. Reactionary politicians glady write and pass more laws because they poll well. However, same politicos including their law enforcement prosecutors resist strict enforcement of the laws and frequently handcuff law enforcement instead. Rinse, repeat, absolute insanity with increased suffering for all except the career criminals.

Tom Jurich
1 year ago

Not adequate personnel to enforce existing regulations. New laws are the answer?

Pat S.
1 year ago

Why not create a system that requires ammo sellers to confirm that FOID cards are valid?

Buyers present their FOID card and are able to purchase ammo without confirmation.

Expecting state police to track down and confiscate FOID cards is rather absurd.

Platinum Goose
1 year ago
Reply to  Pat S.

Good idea. My FOID card is kinda high tech. It has a hologram and some security features, no barcode though. I imagine it could be counterfeited. Pretty simple for the state police to send a file of card numbers that are valid to gun shops, or give them limited access to their database. If the card had a barcode it could make things easier. It seems that the state doesn’t want to implement any technology that may eliminate a job.

Robert Chambers
1 year ago
Reply to  Pat S.

The new FOID card does not have an expiration date on it. So the store must call ISP or go on line and verify the card is valid including ammo purchases.

Pat S.
1 year ago

That hasn’t been our experience – we simply show our FOID and are able to purchase ammo. The card isn’t verified -though it should be.

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