Gun laws in the state of Illinois are among the strictest in the United States. But people on both sides of the gun control debate say it takes more than policy to prevent tragedies like the recent deadly shooting in a manufacturing plant in Aurora.
Given his criminal record, gunman Gary Martin should not have been able to obtain a gun-owner license or a firearm in 2014. When law enforcement discovered he had both, they were unsuccessful in getting them back.
Now, law enforcement is under pressure to explain how Martin kept the gun, which he used to kill five people shortly after he was fired from Henry Pratt Co. on February 15. Police killed Martin in the rampage.
But laws only work if they are properly enforced, spokesmen for the Illinois Rifle Association and the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence told CNN.
