Highland Park Mayor: Gun Used in Attack ‘Was Legally Obtained’

Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering (D) told NBC’s Today Show that the gun used in the attack on July 4th parade goers “was legally obtained.”

Today Show host Hoda Kolb asked Rotering, “Do you know anything about where the gun came from?”

Rotering responded, “I don’t know where the gun came from but I do know that it was legally obtained.”

She then called for a conversation about “these weekly events involving the murder of dozens of people with legally obtained guns.”

Rotering added, “If that’s what our laws stand for then I think we need to re-examine our laws.”

Breitbart News noted that the May 24, 2022, Uvalde attacker acquired his guns legally as well, as did the May 14, 2022, Buffalo attacker.

The vast majority of high-profile public attackers over the past 15 years have acquired their guns legally. Here is a short list of some of the attackers who got their guns legally:

• Indianapolis FedEx attacker (April 15, 2021)
• Atlanta-Area attacker (March 16, 2021)
• Parkland high school attacker (February 14, 2018)
• Texas church attacker (November 5, 2017)
• Las Vegas attacker (October 1, 2017)
• Alexandria attacker (June 14, 2017)
• Orlando attacker (June 12, 2016)
• UCLA gunman (June 1, 2016)
• San Bernardino attackers (December 2, 2015)
• Colorado Springs attacker (October 31, 2015)
• Umpqua Community College attacker (October 1, 2015)
• Alison Parker’s attacker (August 26, 2015)
• Lafayette movie theater attacker (July 23, 2015)
• Chattanooga attacker (July 16, 2015)
• Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal attacker (Jun 17, 2015)
• Muhammad Cartoon Contest attackers (May 3, 2014)
• Las Vegas cop killers (June 9, 2015)
• Santa Barbara attacker (May 23, 2014)
• Fort Hood attacker (April 2, 2014)
• Arapahoe High School attacker (December 13, 2013)
• D.C. Navy Yard attacker (September 16, 2013)
• Aurora movie theater attacker (July 20, 2012)
• Gabby Giffords’ attacker (January 8, 2011)
• Fort Hood attacker (November 5, 2009)
• Northern Illinois University attacker (February 14, 2008)
• Virginia Tech attacker (April 16, 2007)

Mike Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety lists Illinois as the state with the sixth most stringent gun laws in the country.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.