Gun Sense Rally in Lake Zurich: The time is ripe for reform, advocates say

Federal lawmakers, candidates for state and county offices, and a witness to the mass shooting at Highland Park's Independence Day parade gathered Sunday in Lake Zurich's Paulus Park to rally for sweeping gun law reform.

Among the speakers at the Gun Sense Rally was Jordan Kane, a Highland Park resident who saw the July 4 shooting.

"As I ran for my life, alongside my neighbors young and old, I was immediately taken back to the war in Afghanistan," said Kane, who served as a front-line civilian in Afghanistan. "I am furious that we experienced something like war a month ago. I am furious that seven of my neighbors were killed, that one of my daughter's elementary school classmates was shot, that an 8-year-old boy will never walk again."

But Kane, founder of the group Color of Equity, said she also is furious that gun violence takes place every day in underserved communities like Chicago's South and West sides, as well as in Lake County communities like Waukegan and North Chicago.

Political leaders who spoke said the climate is favorable for gun law reform.

"Increasing numbers of not just Democrats, but independents and moderate Republicans, want to see common sense gun reform. And that's exactly what they're going to get," said U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Schaumburg.

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky told the crowd the politics of guns has changed.

"For the first time in three decades, we were able to pass gun legislation," the Evanston Democrat said in reference to the Safer Communities Act.

Krishnamoorthi called for a ban on the sale of what he described as assault weapons and raising the minimum age to purchase of any firearm from 18 to "much higher than 18 years old."