As Illinois Lawmakers Prepare to Return to Springfield for Veto Session, Major Gun Safety Legislation Remains Unfinished
MUNDELEIN, Ill. — Moms Demand Action, a grassroots network of Everytown for Gun Safety, released the following statement in response to a devastating shooting in Mundelein, Illinois, where five people were found shot to death inside a home Sunday night. According to ABC7 Chicago, the deceased included three men and two women, four of whom were family members, while the fifth was believed to have been in a domestic relationship with the suspect. The investigation remains ongoing.
The shooting comes during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, underscoring the deadly intersection of firearms and domestic violence and the urgent need for continued action to prevent gun violence.
“Four people are dead, a family has been devastated, and an entire community is left grieving,” said Tanja Murray, a volunteer with the Illinois chapter of Moms Demand Action. “During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, this shooting is a heartbreaking reminder of the devastating toll of gun violence in our homes and communities. As Illinois lawmakers prepare to return to Springfield next month, they have an opportunity to advance gun violence prevention legislation and take meaningful steps to protect Illinois families. We cannot afford to let another legislative session pass without addressing the gun violence that continues to devastate our communities.”
Firearms are used in more than half of all intimate partner homicides in the United States. Every month, an average of more than 70 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner, and access to a gun makes it five times more likely that an abusive partner will kill a female partner.
Illinois lawmakers are scheduled to return to Springfield for the veto session beginning November 17, following a spring legislative session in which several significant gun safety proposals failed to advance. With gun violence continuing to devastate families across the state, the upcoming session presents another opportunity to consider legislation aimed at preventing gun violence and protecting Illinois communities.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233), available 24/7, for confidential assistance from a trained advocate, or text START to 88788 from anywhere in the U.S.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org/chat to chat with a counselor from the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7, free, and confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress anywhere in the US.