Known as one of the country’s most violent cities, Chicago is at the center of the national debate about guns.
The city long has had some of the strictest gun control measures in the nation. Chicago passed an ordinance banning the sale and registration of handguns in the city in 1982, following the lead of suburb Morton Grove, which was the first municipality in the United States to ban handguns, according to the
Encyclopedia of Chicago.
ALERT: Should Obama Have More Control Over Guns? Vote Now
The ban remained until 2010, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck it down with its ruling in McDonald v. Chicago that the Constitution gives individuals greater or equal power with states on the issue of possession of certain firearms for protection, the
International Business Times reported.
Chicago responded to the ruling by enacting a strict gun ordinance requiring gun owners to be fingerprinted, undergo a background check, pass a training class and pay fees, according to
The Associated Press.
In 2012, a federal appeals court decision paved the way for a new law allowing residents to carry concealed weapons. Illinois was the last state to allow concealed carry, according to
Gun Laws by State.
In January, a federal judge ruled that Chicago’s ban on gun sales was illegal, the
Los Angeles Times reported. The Chicago City Council passed an ordinance in June requiring gun stores to video-record sales and restrict gun buyers to one purchase a month.
Meanwhile, gun violence in the city continues. Statistics show that homicides in the city fell 18 percent in 2013, after topping 500 in 2012. Still, spates of gun violence during the summer caused alarm, including 82 people shot during the Fourth of July weekend.
Both sides of the debate are looking to Chicago to bolster their arguments, with gun-rights advocates arguing that easing access to guns for self-defense is a crime deterrent and gun control advocates arguing that stricter gun control measures is the answer, the AP said.
"You've got these two philosophies that are butting heads, and they're butting heads in the biggest city in the middle of the United States," David Workman of the Second Amendment Foundation told the AP. "And both sides are holding up Chicago as a punching bag."
This article does not constitute legal advice. Check the current gun laws of your state and destination before travel.
VOTE NOW: Should All Fully Automatic Rifles Be Banned?
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.