Kirk, Chicagoland Mother Discuss Solutions to Chicago Gun Violence

Press Release

U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) today joined Delphine Cherry, a Chicagoland mother who lost two children in separate shootings, to discuss legislation and strategies to protect other families from experiencing the pain caused by gun violence.

Ms. Cherry, Co-President of the Chicagoland Chapter of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and mother of four, knows first hand the devastating consequences of gun violence. Her daughter, Tyesa, was tragically killed in 1992 and her son Tyler was taken from her 20 years later in a senseless 2012 shooting.

"We are here today to make sure there is a silver lining to the deaths of Tyesa and Tyler and that kids in Chicago aren't dying because of Washington gridlock," said Senator Kirk. "That is why I have worked with the Democrat Senator from New York, Kristen Gillibrand, to draft this legislation that would stop guns from being trafficked into Illinois."

"No one expects this to happen but it happened to me twice," said Ms. Cherry. "My son Tyler's murder is still unsolved and I don't want another mother to have to experience this pain. We need to find a way to get these guns off the streets."

Kirk and Ms. Cherry were joined by Village of Maywood Police Chief Vladimir Talley, Village of Maywood Mayor Edwenna Perkins, several Chicago area community leaders, and other families impacted by gun violence.

Last year, shootings over Fourth of July weekend left 10 dead and 55 wounded. This year, homicides have increased by 49 percent citywide and Chicago is seeing, on average, ten shootings a day. In order to address this violence, Senator Kirk continues to work across the aisle in order to pass commonsense gun legislation.

Illegal firearms are routinely trafficked into Illinois and account for upwards of 60% of guns recovered by Chicago police. Senator Kirk and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) have introduced the Hadiya Pendleton and Nyasia Pryear-Yard Gun Trafficking and Crime Prevention Act of 2015, which would make the trafficking of illegal guns a federal crime and would provide tools for law enforcement to help get illegal guns off our streets.

Recently, Senator Kirk partnered with Sen. Dianne Feinstein on No Fly-No Buy legislation to block suspected terrorists from buying weapons. He was also the only Republican to support universal FBI background checks of gun purchasers.

Source