Hundreds of gun owners rally in Springfield

Posted on March 30, 2023
It was a sea of yellow shirts in downtown Springfield as the Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day made up what is typically the biggest rally of the year at the statehouse. (Dave Dahl/WJBC)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – Two days after Audrey Hale killed six people in a Nashville Christian school, the Illinois State Rifle Association put on its annual Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day, featuring a program at the BOS Center, a march down Capitol Avenue, and a rally in front of the statehouse.

The group’s leader said in Hale’s case, she would not have killed anyone were she in Illinois.

“If you can’t pass a mental health background check,” which would have happened in Illinois, said ISRA executive director Richard Pearson, “you shouldn’t have firearms for a certain period. We’re open to counseling. We’re open to restoration of rights. But we have to make sure that the process is correct.”

State Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville), one of several Republican lawmakers taking part, said the Second Amendment is not so he can take his son hunting; it’s to defend yourself in your own home.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

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