New legislation in response to the Highland Park shooting creates a “White Flag” law.
Under the bill, if a minor has an incident where they are a threat to themselves or others, the white flag provision would be triggered, preventing that person from obtaining a FOID card until they are 24 years old. It’s sponsored by Representative Deb Conroy of Villa Park who says the goal is to add an extra layer of protection to the process.
Conroy says, “We know that the brain isn’t fully developed until between the ages of 24 and 26, so, oftentimes, things can happen when you’re in your teens before you become an adult and are not necessarily part of the equation currently when you go to get a FOID card.”
In the case of the Highland Park shooter, he had problems where police were called when he was a teen but they didn’t prevent him from getting a FOID card under current law.
There’s a bill already pending in the legislature banning assault weapons that is picking up traction in the wake of the deadly fourth of July shooting.
