As the Wednesday Journal reports, the armed robbers in Oak Park have continued for another week, in spite of the 23 plus years that Oak Park has banned handguns. More information is below:
- A criminal waked into the Deals store at 6405 North Ave, Oak Park, IL and told the clerk “Give me all your f****** money or I’ll blow your f****** head off” while displaying a silver pistol. The clerk simply closed the cash drawer and started at the robber. This failure of a criminal, who couldn’t even succeed at robbery, then fled like the coward he was.
- An armed robber (presumably the same one as above) successfully robbed Oak Park’s North Avenue Fresh Market of $650 dollars, after displaying a silver pistol.
- An Oak Park man and a teenager were walking on the 200 block of South Kenilworth Ave. around 7:30pm when a man ran up and snatched the boy’s cellphone. When the boy started to resist the thief said, “Back off, or I’ll shoot you,” while a second thief took the man’s cell phone.
- An Oak Park boy had just met another boy on the 100 block of South Oak Park Avenue when he noticed three other teens, bandanas across their mouths and noses, running toward him. He tried to run, but was caught and punched in the back of the head by one of the thieves. They then took his backpack, which contained $496.
Hopefully, the people of Oak Park will recognize that their handgun ban does not prevent crime, as evidenced by this and many other armed robberies within the village. The reason is simple: a criminal who is willing to commit a serious felony such as armed robbery, home invasion or rape is not going to be deterred by the relatively minor fine that Oak Park imposes for those caught with a handgun.
Oak Park would do better to spend its money on more police protection, rather than wasting it on a losing court battle to keep the unconstitutional handgun ban which only serves tp prevent citizens from defending themselves.