There were another 2 armed robberies in the village of Oak Park, Illinois this week, despite the handgun ban. It appears that no one told the Oak Park government that criminals ignore laws (including handgun bans). As the Wednesday Journal reports
:
- An Oak Park woman and a friend of hers were entering the enclosed front porch area of her apartment building, when someone yelled out to hold the gate open. They held it for a young man to enter the enclosed area, then he held the gate open for three other men wearing hoodies or T-shirts pulled over their faces. The three criminals pulled out handguns and demanded the woman’s handbag. She turned it over, and the thieves also took $20 and a cellphone from her friend.
- A child from Oak Park was walking down the street, when 5 criminals walked up to him. One of the criminals said, “Give me your stuff or I’ll shoot you in the head,” as he placed his hand on his waistband. The boy was robbed of his shirt and shoes.
This is nothing new for Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago that has had a handgun ban on the books for decades. Possession of a handgun is punishable by a $1,000 fine. That fine, and the fact that it is a law, is enough to keep Oak Park’s law abiding citizens disarmed. But it does nothing to deter a criminal, who isn’t already deterred by the much more severe penalties for committing crimes such as robbery. I sincerely hope the NRA succeeds with its upcoming lawsuit against Oak Park’s handgun ban.