Local anti-gun lobbyists scored a victory in the state legislature this week.
Local anti-gun lobbyists scored a victory in the state legislature this week. The Illinois House passed House Bill 867 on Wednesday that will increase penalties for offenders who shoot students on or near school grounds and on or near public transportation. There have been several youth victims of shooting violence in the last two years on Chicago Transit Authority buses, near bus stops and near schools. Slain Julian high school student Blair Holt was fatally shot in 2007 on a CTA bus near 103rd Street and Halsted Avenue. Another Julian student, Kiyana Salter, was fatally shot last year on a bus near 71st Street and Cottage Grove Avenue. Earlier this year, a few youth were shot at a bus stop near Dunbar high school. “This type of legislation would help to foster the safe passage of our children between home and school,” the Mayor Richard M. Daley said. The bill must now be approved by the state Senate. ______ Copyright 2009 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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