Lake County Gazette

Illinois state Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) believes there are major flaws in the state's Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card system after it failed to keep guns out of the hands of the man charged in connection to the Highland Park parade shooting.

Wilcox is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment but has always been highly critical of the state's FOID card requirement. He said in this instance the FOID system failed.

"In this case, the accused shooter had police involvement where there were reports of verbal and written threats of gun violence, suicidal actions, and an admission of habitual drug use," Wilcox said in his Capitol Report. "What good is the FOID card system if people like the Highland Park alleged shooter slip through the cracks?"

Law enforcement and school administrators in the state must file "clear and present danger" requests with the state police if they believe someone who was given access to a firearm creates a real threat to themselves or other people, a recent NBC Chicago report said. Illinois State Police (ISP) can then either reject or revoke a FOID card. 

Highland Park police filed the form on Robert "Bobby" Crimo III, the alleged Highland Park shooter, in September 2019 after he was accused of threatening to kill people in his home; the NBC Chicago report said. Subsequently, 16 knives, a dagger and a samurai blade were confiscated but returned to the suspect's father the same day. The suspect was approved for a FOID card a few months later and bought five guns legally in the years following. 

ISP has now filed an emergency rule change in an effort to expand clear and present danger reports by allowing "physical or verbal behavior such as violent, suicidal, or assaultive threats" to be added to the qualifications, NBC Chicago reported. 

Crimo III, 22, is accused of shooting from a rooftop into a crowd of people gathered for a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, ABC 7 Chicago reported. Seven people were killed and dozens more were hurt.