Emanuel And Chicago-Area Mayors Join Call For Gun Control

By Samantha Abernethy in News on Dec 20, 2012 6:30PM

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and 23 other Chicago-area mayors announced they are joining the coalition Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

“In order to protect our children, our families and our communities, we need commonsense gun-control legislation,” Emanuel said at a press conference today. “To provide the residents of our cities with the safety they deserve, we need criminal background checks on all gun sales, a comprehensive assault weapons ban, and a ban on high-capacity magazines meant for the battlefield, not America’s streets. I urge other city leaders from throughout our state and the country to join our cause.”

Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson was among the community leaders joining Emanuel this afternoon. “When we see the devastation in communities like Newtown, CT and Gary, Indiana, I am reminded of how pervasive the problem of gun violence is and how complex the solution must be," said Mayor Freeman-Wilson. "One substantial step towards addressing this plague is a federal ban on assault weapons."