Chicago activists sue 3 suburbs over gun sales

CHICAGO (WLS) -- An anti-violence coalition that includes Father Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church and other community activists is suing three Chicago suburbs. The suit accuses the municipality of not doing enough to prevent weapons sold at gun shops from ending up at Chicago crime scenes.

"These three villages are not taking the minimal steps that they need to to stop the flow of guns into Chicago," Michael Persoon, attorney, said.

The lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court accuses Riverdale, Lyons and Lincolnwood of not having enough oversight when it comes to licensing and regulating gun shops.

The suit is based on information from a 2014 city report, which claims nearly 20 percent of guns recovered from crime scenes in Chicago are purchased from gun stores in those three villages. The lawsuit also claims this is causing disproportionate hardship on African American communities, which is a violation of the Illinois Civil Rights Act.

"Families and our children have a right to safety. They have a right to live. They have a right to walk to school, to play outside, to sit on their porch and not be afraid of being shot or killed. Although the solution of violence is indeed comprehensive, part of the problem is the proliferation of guns," Pfleger said.

According to the lawsuit, 3,000 guns recovered from Chicago crime scenes in the last four years came from gun shops in those villages.

"Don't look at us like we're trying to take your rights away. It's not about that. We want you to do the right thing and force strict rules on people who purchase guns," Annette Holt, whose son Blair was killed, said.

Riverdale's mayor did not comment on the lawsuit, but the Lyons village president said, in part:

"The Village of Lyons has met several times with the Chicago Police Department and members of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's staff in the last two years to address their concerns about a local business in our community...Lyons continues to monitor and work with the gun store to ensure that it follows the letter of the law. We believe they do follow all regulations on gun sales as mandated by the state and federal government."

An attorney for Lincolnwood released a statement, "While we certainly appreciate the concerns that they raise, we cannot see any conceivable basis for liability on the part of the Village of Lincolnwood."

Chicago police confiscated illegal guns at a rate of one per hour over the July 4 holiday weekend.