Carbondale Reporter

Marion gun and range owner David Kemp says a new law banning firearms and magazines has changed his business and affected his biggest seller, but that fortunately his business offers more than gun sales.

“We can't sell AR-15s and other rifles to civilians,” Kemp said. “The AR-15 is the most popular rifle in America and when the state says you can't sell it that makes a big difference. We're primarily a gun range. We sell guns but that’s not our focus. If we were a gun store, the impact would be greater."

Kemp, who owns Tombstone Gun and Range Training Center, has been approached by customers pointing to the fact that the law infringes on the Second Amendment. He trusts the court will do the right thing.

“We get a lot of questions from customers about that and we're just telling them to hang tight and let the court case play out,” he said. “Things are moving fast and I'm hoping all the courts including the Supreme Court will address things soon. So far, we only adjusted our operation slightly."

Back on January 10, Gov. J.B. Pritzker enacted the ban on firearms and magazines, including over 170 semi-automatic firearms and high-capacity magazines. 

However, the ban faced pushback from sheriffs representing both political parties even before its enactment. Many sheriffs declared that they will not enforce this measure, claiming it goes against the Second Amendment, according to The Center Square.

“Many sheriffs across the state indicated their concern about this legislation passing and ultimately being signed into law and infringing upon the rights of those legal gun owners across the state,” Jim Kaitschuk, Illinois Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director, said, according to The Center Square. “What the organization did is file an amicus brief in support of those efforts challenging House Bill 5471.”

Under the new law, individuals who own guns that appear on the banned list are allowed to retain possession of them. But they have to register their firearms with the Illinois State Police by January 1, 2024. Failure to comply may result in a Class 2 felony charge, according to WTVO. The registry opens on October 1st.

Kemp, however, argues that problems are not with licensed gun owners, but with the criminals who deserve the punishment.

“As a gun store and gun training facility, we're very pro-gun ownership and we wish the government wouldn't be focusing on law-abiding citizens so much, but rather the criminals,” Kemp said. “I think there's only a handful of those folks and if we focus on them more, we can impact all the gun violence dramatically.”