Karina’s Law aims to prevent gun violence in Illinois domestic abuse cases
Gov. Pritzker signs Karina's Law, protecting survivors of domestic violence
Karina's Law will remove guns from homes of domestic violence survivors who are granted orders of protection.
Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill into law today that adds protections for domestic violence survivors.
Karina's Law
The backstory:
Karina's Law, House Bill 4144, requires law enforcement to confiscate guns within 96 hours of a judge revoking someone's Firearm Owner Identification card due to an emergency restraining order.
The Illinois House passed the new gun violence bill last month. It will remove guns from the homes of domestic violence survivors who are granted orders of protection.
The legislation is named after Karina Gonzalez and her 15-year-old daughter Daniela, who were allegedly shot and killed by Gonzalez’s husband in the summer of 2023 despite her obtaining an order of protection against him.
What they're saying:
On Monday, Pritzker touted the law as a game-changer.
"Karina's Law will protect survivors of domestic violence and give them comfort, the comfort of knowing that their abuser will not have easy access to firearms," Pritzker said. "There are those who opposed this law because they mistakenly believe that the Second Amendment has no limits. Well, they're wrong."
Why you should care:
Gun-related domestic violence deaths have nearly doubled in Illinois over the past four years, according to data.
What's next:
Karina's Law will go into effect on May 11.
The Source: The information in this story came from a news conference held Monday by Gov. JB Pritzker and previous FOX 32 reporting.