Local anti-violence advocates react to Wisconsin gun shop ruling

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A new ruling has made a gun shop responsible for police shootings in Wisconsin.

That ruling is encouraging to people behind a local lawsuit aimed at keeping illegal guns off Chicago streets.

"I thought it was awesome. It's finally a win for us. Especially for those of us here in the Midwest," said Annette Nance-Holt.

"I was glad, I felt like somebody is finally listening, and in Milwaukee they're doing the same thing that we are doing here in Chicago - trying to get the guns off the streets," said Pam Bosley.

A Wisconsin jury found a gun shop liable for the sale of a weapon used to shoot two Milwaukee policemen.

The lawsuit claims Badger Guns approved the gun sale despite irregularities. One month later, the gun was used to shoot the officers.

"I think this sends heck of message to gun stores and hopefully to the ones that are so bad around Chicago," said Father Michael Pfleger, St. Sabina.

In Chicago Father Pfleger, along with two parents whose sons were fatally shot, are suing three suburbs for what they call a lack of gun sales policy that leads to a disproportionate number of innocent victims of color in Chicago.

"We have countless bodies in the streets of Chicago that did not survive the shooting of gun stores that sold guns knowing it was going to hit the streets illegally," Pfleger said.

Local protests at gun shops did not yield the results organizers hoped.

Now they hope the Wisconsin decision is the start of new measures to reduce access to guns used in crime.

"If we can get those guns off our streets, we can save our children. I believe that in my heart. If we had control over the guns and didn't have these guns on the streets, my son would be here," Bosley said.

"He was like my blessing and he would want me to fight, he would want to make sure that no other kids would die like him," Nance-Holt said.

The lawsuit against Riverdale, Lincolnwood and Lyons under the Civil Rights Act was filed in July. The plaintiffs want to dismiss the lawsuit - although the attorney who filed that motion declined to comment.

Meanwhile attorneys for the pastor and parents have until Friday to respond.