During his two days in Washington, McCarthy discussed the "reasonableness" of gun laws. He says he met for more than an hour with President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Attorney General Eric Holder and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.
Meanwhile, shootings across Chicago continued while McCarthy was away. He returned home to what he calls a "spate of shooting" that occurred in his absence.
In a news conference at the police headquarters on Tuesday, McCarthy said he has answers for Chicago's rising murder count.
"There seems to be a consensus among police- and a popular consensus-that the reasonableness of gun laws has to be examined," said McCarthy.
He came back with a four-point plan to curb gun violence. He says he now supports:
-A ban on all assault weapons and extended magazines.
-Universal background checks for all gun purchasers.
-A requirement that the loss, theft or transfer of all guns be reported to the government.
-A three year mandatory minimum for illegal possession of a gun. By state law, currently there is a six month maximum.
"The gun that was just used at Chicago State University two weeks ago to murder the 17-year-old. There's one recorded transaction on that firearm. It was purchased in 2001 in Texas by a person who we can't find a connection to Chicago. That is what's facilitating the illegal flow of firearm into the hands of criminals in urban centers of this country," said McCarthy.
McCarthy said he will continue to fight against the passage of a concealed carry law in Illinois.
Illinois is the only state in the union to prohibit some form of permissible carrying of a concealed weapon- but McCarthy says that doesn't make Illinois wrong.
