An Illinois lawmaker wants to give police officers more power to take away guns from someone who poses a threat.
State Representative David McSweeney says police in Florida didn’t have enough power to stop Nikolas Cruz from carrying out a mass shooting, despite dozens of reports about his behavior. The Republican from Barrington Hills says his legislation would keep that from happening in Illinois.
Police could get a warrant to take guns if a court decides the owner is dangerous to himself or others — or if they believe there’s an immediate danger, they could take the weapons and justify their actions in court later.
McSweeney believes that could help police prevent a mass shooting.
“I think it’s a reasonable way of addressing an issue that is obviously so important. I mean, there’s so many cases beyond Florida of people who are a clear and present danger,” he said.
Lawmakers are also considering a bill to let family members ask a court to take away someone’s guns, but McSweeney says that power should be reserved for the police.
