CHICAGO STYLE FIREARMS
Illegal guns are all over Chicago. In 2018 alone, the Chicago Police seized over 9,500 illegal firearms. That was the largest amount seized in 5 years and a 9% increase from the previous year. Despite this, police in Chicago seize more illegal guns annually than in New York City and Los Angeles combined. Arrests for Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon and other firearm offenses are a top priority for the Chicago Police Department (“CPD”) and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
But what type of guns are we talking about? What is the most common firearm recovered in Chicago? Are some types of guns being seized more than others? By looking at CPD seizure records, Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms Agency (ATF) “Trace Reports,” and recent academic studies, a general profile emerges.
- Type: Semi-Automatic Handgun
- Calibur: 9MM
- Manufacturer: Smith & Wesson
- Average Age of Possessor: 32
- Where Found in City: (6th-Gresham);(7th-Englewood);(9th-Deering);(11th-Harrison)
- Origin: Indiana, Wisconsin, Mississippi
TYPE
Semi-automatic Handguns are the preferred type of firearm on the streets of Chicago. The majority of the 9,500 firearms seized by the Chicago Police in 2018 were semi-automatic handguns. That’s not particularly surprising, considering semi-automatic handguns are the most popular firearm in America. Besides semi-automatic handguns, CPD seized almost 200 illegal assault rifles last year. Not to mention that in 2017, law enforcement statewide recovered 13 automatic machine guns, 7 less than year before.
CALIBUR
9MM semi-automatic handguns are by far most popular type of illegal firearm in Chicago. .40 & .45 calibers take the number two and three spot, respectively. It hasn’t always been like this. In the 1980s, the .38 caliber revolver reigned as the top illegal firearm seized in Chicago. At the time, revolvers were more reliable & less expensive than the semi-automatic handguns of the day.
MANUFACTURER
Like 9MM in caliber, Smith & Wesson firearms hold a dominant spot at the top of the list of manufacturers whose guns are taken off the streets of Chicago and Illinois. For example, in 2014, the CPD confiscated 30 different types of Smith & Wesson manufactured guns. That being said, Smith & Wesson is the largest gun manufacturer in the United States.
AGE
Most illegal guns are old. A 2015 study by Duke University and the University of Chicago found that illegal firearms were on average 11 years old. For guns connected to gangs, the average was slightly older, at 12.6 years old. As far as the person holding these guns, the average age of a person possessing an illegal gun in Illinois is 32. That’s three years younger than the national average of 35 years old.
WHERE FOUND?
Chicago, unsurprisingly, is where the most illegal guns are found in Illinois, followed by Rockford, Peoria, and East St. Louis, where the amount of seized guns ranges in the 300+ as compared to 7,000+ in Chicago. In Chicago, four police districts stand out as having the most illegal firearm seizures in the city. They are: (6th-Gresham); (7th-Englewood)(9th-Deering) on the southside and (11th-Harrison) on the westside.
Outside of illegal gun seizures, the CPD recorded 2,355 shooting incidents in 2018. This is down from 2,750 in 2017. Seven of the 22 police districts accounted for over half of these types of incidents. The 11th district, Harrison, had the most shooting incidents with 340 last year. Calumet, Greshma, Austin, Englewood, and Ogden follow with around 170+ such incidents.
ORIGIN
Most of the illegal guns in Illinois aren’t even from here. Almost 60% of the illegal guns recovered come from out of state, with 20% of those guns coming from Indiana. In fact, from 2010-2014, an average of over 1,000 guns a year came from Indiana. Outside of the Hoosier state, Wisconsin and Mississippi supply the most illegal guns to Illinois.
TYPES OF GUN OFFENSES IN ILLINOIS
4,200 people were arrested on gun related charges in Chicago last year. Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon is probably the most common illegal gun offense charged by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. Typically, but not always, this offense occurs when a person is in possession of a firearm without a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card. This is a class 4 felony without a possibility of probation, meaning if convicted you go to prison for 1-3 years. Possessing a gun with a defaced serial number bumps it to a cl. 3 felony, at 2-5 years in prison. If you have a previous felony and are caught with a gun, the amount of prison time jumps to 3-7 years at a cl. 2 felony.
What if you decide to put a silencer on the illegal gun? You’re looking at a cl. 3 felony, 2-5 years, the same penalty for having a saw-off shotgun (less than 18 inches), as well. If you have a machine gun on you, that’s a cl. X felony, at 6-30 years.
So-called “strawman” purchases are also an issue in Illinois. For example, on study found that 15% of illegal guns confiscated from a man where first purchased by a woman. This suggests and illegal transfer where one individual buys a gun for the purpose of giving or selling it to someone who can’t legally buy or possess a gun. Doing so carries harsh punishments in Illinois that depend on the amount of guns one illegally buys in a certain time period. One gun is a cl.2 felony, while 2-5 guns at the same time/within a year is a cl.1 felony, kicking up to a cl. X for 6+ guns within 2 years, with mandatory prison sentence of 9-40 years.
It is impossible to really know what a typical illegal gun in Chicago really looks like. What you can be 100% sure about, however, is that if you are charged with Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon, or any illegal firearm offense in Chicago or Illinois, you need an attorney. At Robert Callahan & Associates, we know how to defend our clients against all of the various types of gun charges in Illinois. If you are looking for an aggressive firm to defend your rights against gun charges in Chicago, call us today at 312-322-9000.