Lock ‘em up: What state’s new Safe Storage Act means for gun owners, safety

A much-needed move to save innocent lives or another costly infringement on the right to bear arms?

That’s the debate over a new state law requiring gun owners to keep their firearms locked up when children, a person at risk of harming themselves or others, or a person prohibited from possessing a firearm are present.

Dubbed the Safe Gun Storage Act and effective as of Thursday, Senate Bill 8 passed the Illinois General Assembly in the spring and was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker in July.

A pair of suburban lawmakers — state Sen. Laura Ellman of Naperville and state Rep. Maura Hirschauer of Batavia — were its chief sponsors in Springfield.

“For far too long, our communities have carried the heartbreak of preventable tragedies caused by unsecured firearms,” Ellman, a two-term Democrat, said of the measure last month. “A firearm that’s left out or improperly stored isn’t just a hazard, it’s a threat to the safety of everyone in the home.”

Under the law, firearms must be kept in a locked container, not just stored away in an out-of-reach closet or hidden in a bedroom drawer.

Failure to comply isn’t a crime, but anyone who violates the measure faces a fine of up to $10,000.

Supporters say the law will save lives by keeping guns out of irresponsible hands. According to the gun control advocacy group Brady United, unintentional shootings by children are 78% lower in states requiring secure storage, compared with states with no secure storage laws.

And multiple studies from the past 20 years have found that safe storage laws can reduce firearm suicide and unintentional gun deaths among children and teens by up to 54%, the organization says.

Police weigh in

Because the law makes a violation a civil, instead of criminal, offense, police will not actively seek out offenders or investigate possible infractions. Instead, any reported violations will be turned over to the Illinois Attorney General for initiation of civil proceedings.

“I don't know that local law enforcement will have that much involvement with the Act other than initial reporting of any incidents,” Lake Zurich Police Chief Steve Husak told us via email this week.

Still, Husak sees some benefits to the law.

“Safely storing firearms and using firearm safety devices can eliminate or minimize the risk of unintentional death, injury or damage caused by improper handling of firearms,” he wrote. “Safely securing firearms also decreases the chances of theft. These should be priorities for any gun owner.”

On the other hand

Not everyone is a fan of the new law. Richard A. Peason, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association, said it unfairly punishes law-abiding citizens by creating another expensive barrier to gun ownership.

While a low-end handgun container can be hand for under $100, high-quality gun safes for long rifles can cost more than $1,500. And owners who make “a simple mistake” can owe thousands in fines, Pearson noted.

“It’s just another way to go after gun ownership and make it harder and more expensive,” he said.

The law is also unclear about who is “prohibited” from possessing a firearm, Pearson said, leaving many to assume that includes anyone without a Firearm Owner’s Identification card.

“Does that mean anyone who has visitors from out of state has to lock up their guns, since those visitors can’t have a FOID card?” he asked.

Since the law just went into effect and has not yet been enforced, there are no known legal challenges to it, Pearson said. But he doesn’t expect that to be the case for long.

Mark Glavin, owner of Fox Valley Shooting Range in Elgin, said he hasn’t seen a rush of customers coming in to buy equipment needed to comply with the law.

“The state is better at passing laws than letting people know about them,” he said. “I’d venture to guess many people don’t know about it.”

Wait, there’s more

The Safe Gun Storage Act also requires gun owners to report a lost or stolen firearm within 48 hours of discovering it gone. The previous requirement was 72 hours.

According to Ellman, lost firearms are three times more likely, and stolen guns nine times more likely, to be involved in criminal activity. And Everytown for Gun Safety says states with reporting requirements have seen a 46% drop in illegal gun trafficking.

Buy-witness report

It's been more than four years since last-minute holiday shoppers at Oakbrook Center were terrorized by a gunfight. Now the case against accused shooter Steve Lane has a new twist — he’s charged with trying to bribe a witness.

Lane, 33, of Chicago, was indicted in December on felony charges of communicating with a witness and bribery, according to DuPage County court records.

The charges allege Lane tried to pay a woman in October 2024 to not testify against him. He’s pleaded not guilty to the new charges.

Lane also faces aggravated battery, aggravated discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon charges in connection with the Dec. 23, 2021, shooting near the mall’s Nordstrom store.

Police said the shooting stemmed from a social-media dispute he had with Tyran Williams of Chicago. Williams and three bystanders were shot, another man was grazed by a bullet, and a woman broke an ankle trying to escape.

Williams also was charged in 2021, but he was shot to death a year later in Chicago.

Lane, who argues he acted in self-defense, is set to appear in court Jan. 23.

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