After court ruling, local leaders say they will enforce state gun ban 'as any other statute'

Local law enforcement officials said after Friday's Illinois Supreme Court ruling that they will enforce the state's ban on the sale of high-powered weapons,

"We'll enforce the statute as any other statute," said East Dundee Police Chief James Kruger, adding that if authorities receive any complaints, they will consult with the Illinois State Police and the Kane County state's attorney's office.

Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg was pleased by the ruling.

"I do not believe weapons of war belong in our streets," he said. "Too many times, I have personally seen the carnage and destruction assault-style firearms cause. I have always been open on my view that they do not have a place in a civilized society, and I am pleased the Illinois Supreme Court feels the same."

Idleburg said he is not advocating an end to a person's right to bear arms, "but I do agree we need to restrict weapons of war in our community."

DuPage County Board Chairman Deborah Conroy also is pleased the court upheld the ban.

Conroy said she has not heard anything from DuPage Sheriff James Mendrick since the decision came out. She referred to their joint news release from a few months ago and said she anticipates he will comply.

"I have no reason to believe that he won't (enforce)," Conroy said.

Mendrick could not be reached for comment Friday. Neither could McHenry County Sheriff Robb Tadelman.

Mendrick and Tadelman said in January, when Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the law, that they believed it violated people's Second Amendment right to bear arms.

Conroy initially wanted to censure Mendrick over his statement that his deputies would not check to ensure legal owners comply with registration requirements, but she dropped the effort after meeting with Mendrick and DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin, saying they had come to an agreement that Mendrick would enforce the law.

Berlin said the law does not require police to go door to door looking for the guns.

Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain declined to comment Friday, but in January he said he would not "proactively investigate" legal gun owners, nor seize their weapons.

The ruling did not surprise a Naperville gun shop owner fighting a similar law.

Robert Bevis, owner of Law Weapons & Supply, has been waging a federal court fight with the city over its local ordinance passed last year banning the sale of certain high-powered weapons.

Bevis said he expected the state's highest court to rule as it did, and the ruling has no impact on his business or his legal stance.

"The only way we're going to win this is in the federal court," Bevis said. "We knew this was coming, so it's no surprise. Besides, it makes no difference to me. I already couldn't sell anything ... because of the city of Naperville and its ordinance."

Bevis' federal lawsuit has been combined with several others that challenge the state law. The 7th District Court of Appeals heard arguments June 29.

"We are disappointed to see yet another court uphold this wildly unconstitutional law. Our own challenge remains unabated," said Hannah Hill, executive director of the National Foundation for Gun Rights. "As we told the 7th Circuit recently, our lawsuit is simple. Under the Supreme Court's Heller and Bruen rulings, commonly owned weapons cannot be banned under the Second Amendment. We are prepared to take our case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court in order to strike down this unconstitutional gun ban once and for all."

• Daily Herald staff writers Kevin Schmit, Alice Fabbre and Doug Graham contributed to this report.