Lake County’s gun violence initiative touts improved stats
June marked four years since the Lake County state’s attorney’s office announced the formation of its Gun Violence Prevention Initiative (GVPI), and officials are pointing to subsequent drops in shootings, homicides and emergency department visits as proof of its value.
The GVPI is a program led by Director Tierra Lemon. It was launched shortly before a mass shooting that sparked calls locally and nationwide for improved gun control: the 2022 Highland Park July 4 parade shooting.
State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart, reflecting on the shooting that shocked the region, pledged the program would continue working with state and local law enforcement agencies to inform police, mental health providers and schools of the different tools they can use to identify those who may be a threat to the community.
That can mean temporarily restricting someone’s access to firearms through a “firearm restraining order.” These court orders are one of the puzzle pieces of GVPI’s overall efforts to reduce gun violence.
During a June County Board meeting, roughly $1.4 million in funds from the federal Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program were either renewed or approved for efforts related to firearm restraining orders.
Approximately $900,000 in renewed funds, running from May 1, 2026, to April 30, 2027, will go to awareness and education efforts, including pay for two existing full-time positions, a restraining order trainer, and a social worker.
The remaining $500,000 is a grant running from Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026, going to operational supplies — such as gun safes and educational literature — to distribute to the community. The money will also go to fund law enforcement overtime in relation to restraining order incidents.
Steve Spagnolo, with the State’s Attorney’s Office, said studies have shown firearm restraining orders help save lives. Cases “run the gamut” from threats of violence against family members and schools, to suicidal ideation or elderly individuals who may pose risks to themselves.
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‘Laboratory of ideas’
Funding has been a big question for the program, but it’s financially clear for 2026 after both a $1.5 million grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services and $650,000 in one-time county funding.
Additionally, the State’s Attorney’s Office received $1 million for the initiative as part of Congress’s Community Project Funding program.
Rinehart, who has championed the initiative, called it a “laboratory of ideas” that has proven its worth. He said Illinois State Police data shows that Lake County leads Illinois in the issuance of these restraining orders.
In an annual report to the county Law and Judicial Committee, he pointed to various statistics showing improved gun violence numbers between 2022 and 2025.
Averaging data regarding non-violent shootings and homicides — statistics Rinehart has emphasized are coming from law enforcement and the Coroner’s Office — gun violence was down roughly 70% from 2022 to 2025
The report touted statistics across the county. From 2024 to 2025, Lake County saw a 21% decrease in firearm homicides and a 33% decrease in firearm homicides in the three cities where the on-the-ground programs have been running: Zion, Waukegan and North Chicago.
In 2022, there were 51 homicides, according to the report, compared to 16 in 2025. Emergency department visit rates also dropped from 2022 to 2025.
The GVPI has several “puzzle pieces” described on its website that address different aspects of gun violence prevention. On the ground are the Lake Count Peacemakers, a team of credible messengers — trained staff with ties to the community — who can more personally connect with residents who may be high-risk.
The concept of violence interruption is hardly new. Rinehart said community violence interrupters have been doing the work for decades. But the integration with government and government funding is a more recent turn. Lake County’s program, for its part, was launched during the pandemic with federal ARPA dollars.
As the last of those COVID-era dollars ends, Rinehart said he will continue to ask for funding from the county and state legislators for the initiative.
“We can’t let those investments in social programs go away because COVID has gone away,” he said.