Chicago Gun Lawsuit Launched To Combat Gang Violence

A Chicago suburbs gun lawsuit was launched in a frustrated effort to combat raging gang violence in the metropolitan area.

Gangs from the South and West sides of the city are reportedly embroiled in ongoing vendettas. The bodies keep piling up each weekend and innocent residents are reportedly getting caught in the crossfire.

Father Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina, a Chicago South Side church, is leading the charge to force local officials to do something about the gang violence and illegal guns. Pastor Pfleger and a handful of co-plaintiffs are suing the village of Lincolnwood, Riverdale, and Lyons. Each of the Chicago suburbs is home to a gun store that the pastor has accused of having “lax oversight” during gun purchases.

The Chicago pastor wants village officials to do stop what he deems “straw purchasing” of guns where firearms are bought in bulk and then sold on the street at black market prices. The Chicago gun lawsuit maintains that a “disproportionate” number of guns used on the street are purchased from the noted suburbs.

“We’re not asking anybody to take away guns from [legal] gun owners,” Pastor Pfleger said.

ATF officials contend that the guns used in Chicago gang violence cases do not necessarily come form the suburbs of Riverdale, Lyons and Lincolnwood.

“The largest percentage of crime guns used by gang members are coming from Indiana,” ATF Special Agent Thomas Ahern said.

Officials from Lyons told Fox News that the lawsuit is attempting to blame Chicago gun crime onto the communities in the outlying area. The Chicago lawsuit also raises civil rights issues in reference to the race of the gang violence victims.

“The victims of these crimes in which the guns from these stores are used are overwhelmingly African American. The continued use of lax methods in licensing their dealers has a racially disparate and terrible effect on the communities in which plaintiffs and the members of the plaintiff organization live and has the effect of discriminating against plaintiffs because of race.”

Pastor Pfleger also noted that the Chicago gang violence problem is a complex issues and acknowledged that “fractured families,” and heroin uses also plays a significant role in the ongoing crimes and murders in the city.

“I deal with the carnage. I deal with the caskets. I deal with grieving families. I’m dealing with the young people being shot and killed. So, I’m not just trying anything, I’ll try everything,” the pastor said.

What do you think about the Chicago gun lawsuit?

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