Gun Violence in Illinois's First Congressional District

Floor Speech

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Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart in the aftermath of another mass shooting in Tennessee that claimed 6 lives, including 3 innocent children. I stand here as a representative of a district plagued by the epidemic of gun violence.

Chicago, our beloved city, suffers from a firearm homicide rate that overshadows other major U.S. cities. From 2018 to 2022, almost 14,000 shooting incidents have scarred our communities and shattered countless families.

As I speak on this matter, I must emphasize the disproportionate impact on our Black communities. In our state of Illinois, Black individuals are 32 times more likely to die by gun homicide than their White counterparts, a rate triple the national average. This is not just a statistic; it is a heart-wrenching reality and a gross injustice that we must confront and dismantle with unyielding determination.

Our children, the beacons of hope for our future, suffer most in the face of this violence. Firearms are the leading cause of death for children in Illinois, claiming an average of 183 young lives each year. The stark truth is that in Illinois, Black children and teens are 13 times more likely to die from gun violence than their White peers. Around 60 percent of Chicago's youngest children live in communities where 91 percent of homicides took place.

Our children's mental health continues to deteriorate under the burden of fear and anxiety from exposure to gun violence. Over 1 in 4 parents report their children hearing gunshots at home, and 1 in 5 parents say their children's mental health has been negatively affected.

It is our responsibility as lawmakers and leaders to bring forth meaningful change. We must start by implementing comprehensive background checks, closing the gun show loophole, and investing in mental health services for those affected by gun violence. We must pass the assault weapons ban to remove military-style weapons from our streets, prohibit unlicensed firearm ownership, and mandate that firearms transfers occur only with a valid license.

Additionally, we must establish and maintain a federal record of sale system and conduct fingerprint-based nationwide criminal background checks. Had these measures been in place, the gunman who killed 5 people in Aurora, IL in 2019 might have been prevented from acquiring the firearm used in the shooting.

Our children, our communities, and our Nation deserve better. We must be relentless in our pursuit of a safer, brighter future. Let us be united in our resolve, with hearts full of passion and eyes set on the prize of a peaceful tomorrow. Together, we can turn the tide of gun violence and restore hope to our great Nation.

Mr. Speaker, let us join hands in this righteous fight.

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