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

Tiktok Instagram Facebook-f
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.

WILL and the Illinois Newsroom are committed to bringing you in-depth, relevant coverage that keeps you informed and engages you with our community and state. Join with thousands of others to keep this important public media-based resource available to all. Donate today >>

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.