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217 Today: After Illinois banned assault weapons, rural gun owners registered very few of them

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In this 2013 file photo, John Jackson, co-owner of Capitol City Arms Supply, shows off an AR-15 assault rifle for sale at his business in Springfield, Ill. Under a new state law, such weapons are banned unless their owners register the weapons with the Illinois State Police. A WBEZ analysis shows that the lowest registration rates are found in rural downstate counties.
  • Photo: Seth Perlman / Associated Press

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Today’s headlines:

  • University of Illinois freshman Akul Dhawan died from hypothermia. That’s the official cause of death, released by Champaign County Coroner Stephen Thuney.
  • Former President Donald Trump endorsed incumbent U.S. Representative Mike Bost.
  • White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf met with Illinois legislative leaders– in person – to request public financing for a new stadium.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about a new Illinois law that allowed gun owners to keep assault-style weapons if they disclosed them by January first — and take a look at the registration rates across the state.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Emily Hays, Will Bauer, Alex Degman, Mawa Iqbal and Amy Qin.

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Stephanie Mosqueda

Stephanie Mosqueda is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with minors in Spanish and public relations. She is the 217 Today producer and a reporter for the Illinois Student Newsroom.