Six people died on Monday, in addition to 40 wounded, at the hands of Rober Crimo, 22, at an Independence Day parade. The attack took place in Highland Park, a suburb north of Chicago, that had not previously faced many issues with gun violence.
Because of this, the crowd of unsuspecting people was not concerned when they heard Crimo’s rifle for the first time. With the sound being remarkably close to that of a firework, no one had been alarmed enough to notify police until several citizens had already been injured.
As these authorities, some of which were already at the parade, finally rushed to the scene, Crimo continued to fire into the crowd. Those whom he killed include 88-year-old Steve Straus and 78-year-old Nicolas Toledo, as well as over 4 more victims that have not yet been identified. Crimo was taken into custody 8 hours after the initial phone call was made, and faces up to 7 charges of first-degree murder.
However, Crimo will not be charged with the possession of an illegal weapon. Crimo’s rifle, similar to various other weapons purchased with malicious intent, was completely legal. In fact, studies show that over 77% of guns involved in mass shootings are purchased legally. The process in which these gunmen acquire their weapons has been incredibly simple, and it is because of this that many innocent people, such as the victims of the Highland Park shooting, have fallen victim to gun violence.
Several states have begun to recognize this. New York, for example, opted to pass a law that required citizens to secure a permit in order to carry a gun in public. The application process was extensive, and applicants were required to prove that they had a valid reason for carrying guns in public. Because of this, gun violence in New York was beginning to slowly decline after a long time spent wrestling with a rise in shootings.
That was until the United States Supreme Court stepped in.
The nine Justices looked over the law in correlation with the 2nd and 14th Amendments. Eventually, a split decision, 6-3, revealed that New York would be forced to eradicate this law and the right to bear arms would now be granted the highest level of protection, even despit shootings such as the one in Highland Park.