>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> THE U.S. SENATE IS REPORTEDLY

HOLDING BIPARTISAN TALKS ON SOME

POSSIBLE GUN CONTROL MEASURES IN

THE WAKE OF THE UVALDE SCHOOL

SHOOTING THAT LEFT 21 DEAD AS

CHICAGO REELS FROM ANOTHER

VIOLENT MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND AND

AS DEMOCRATS CALL FOR STRICTER

MEASURES THAN THOSE BEING

CONSIDERED LIKE A NATIONWIDE BAN

ON ASSAULT RIFLES.

JOINING US ARE DAN KOTOWSKI

PRESIDENT OF C.E.O. OF KIDS

ABOVE ALL.

AND RICHARD PIERSON.

WELCOME BACK TO "CHICAGO

TONIGHT."

RICHARD, UVALDE, BUFFALO,

CHICAGO SEES GUN VIOLENCE ON A

DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.

WE SEE THE TALKS ON RED FLAG

LAWS, EXPANDED BACKGROUND

CHECKS.

RAISING THE AGE FROM 18 TO 21 TO

PURCHASE A SEMIAUTOMATIC WEAPON.

DO YOU SEE GUN RIGHTS ADVOCATES

SUPPORTING ANY OF THESE?

>> MAYBE BACKGROUND CHECKS BUT

NONE OF THE REST OF THE STUFF,

NO.

>> THE RIFLE ASSOCIATION YOU

WOULD NOT SUPPORT RED FLAG LAWS

OR RAISING THE AGE FROM 18 TO

21?

>> WELL, THEY HAVE RED FLAG LAWS

ALREADY IN ILLINOIS.

IT'S LIKE ANY LEGISLATION, YOU

KNOW, TO SAY RED FLAGS MEANS ONE

THING IN ONE PLACE AND ANOTHER

THING IN ANOTHER PLACE YOU HAVE

TO LOOK AT THE LEGISLATION TO

SEE WHAT TAKES PLACE DURING THE

LEGISLATION.

AND WHAT IT DOES.

HOW FAR REACHING IT IS.

WHAT RIGHTS DO THE PEOPLE

ACCUSED HAVE SO FORTH.

IT IS A COMPLICATED ISSUE.

AND YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT ALL

THESE THINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT

EVERYONE IS PROTECTED AS MUCH AS

POSSIBLE.

>> DAN KOTOWSKI AT THE FEDERAL

LEVEL, WHAT KIND OF RESTRICTIONS

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE OFFICIALS

TAKE UP?

AND WHAT DO YOU THINK IS

POLITICALLY POSSIBLE RIGHT NOW?

>> WELL, I THINK WE NEED TO DO

WHATEVER WE CAN TO PLACE THE

SAFETY AND WELL-BEING IN

EDUCATION OF ALL KIDS.

FRANKLY, OUR CHILDREN THROUGHOUT

OUR COUNTRY AND OUR CITY AND OUR

STATE AND THROUGH OTHER PLACES

IN THE U.S. THEY ARE BEING

MASSACRED.

AND THEY ARE VULNERABLE BECAUSE

OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE NOT

TAKEN THE STEPS NECESSARY TO

PROTECT THEM FROM WEAPONS OF

MASS DESTRUCTION FROM MILITARY

ASSAULT RIFLES AND PISTOLS.

WE HAD A RESTRICTION ON MILITARY

STYLE ASSAULT RIFLES AND PISTOLS

AND IT WORKED.

IT MADE AN IMPACT.

BUT THE REAL CONSEQUENCES AFTER

IT SUNSETTED INCREDIBLE NUMBER

OF MASS SHOOTINGS THAT WE SAW.

BECAUSE OF THE ACCESS TO HIGH

CAPACITY MAGAZINES.

BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE HAVE

GUNS THAT THEY LOOK EXACTLY LIKE

A MILITARY WEAPON.

THEY MAY NOT BE A FULLY

AUTOMATIC BUT THEY ARE

SEMIAUTOMATIC AND WREAK CARNAGE

AND HAVOC AND KILL AN INCREDIBLE

NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN A SHORT

TIME.

WHAT MAKES THEM LETHAL AND

DANGEROUS IS HIGH CAPACITY

AMMUNITION MAGAZINES MANY AND

THE REALITY IS WHEN WE CRACKDOWN

ON THAT, WHEN WE FOCUS ON THAT

NATIONALLY, IT MADE A

DIFFERENCE.

AND AFTER THE BAN SUNSETTED WE

SAW A BALLOONING OF THE NUMBER

OF SHOOTINGS THAT OCCURRED IN

OUR COUNTRY AND WE'VE BEEN

SEEING THAT.

I'M NOT HERE TO DEBATE I'M HERE

THE TIME FOR ACTION IS NOW.

THE GUN LOBBY'S WAY FOR DECADES.

NOW THE TIME IS TO DO IT IN A

WAY TO HELP OUR KIDS BE SAFE AND

SECURE AND PROTECTED.

WE WANT TO PROTECT OUR TEACHERS

OUR CHILDREN, OUR

FIRST-RESPONDERS.

AND DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO MAKE

SURE THAT WE REALIZE THAT

OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY SHOULD GET

THEY DESERVE LIFE, LIBERTY AND

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.

>> THE SUNSET OF THE ASSAULT

WEAPONS BAN.

RICHARD PIERSON, A CNN ANNOUNCED

THERE WERE 288 SCHOOL SHOOTINGS

IN THE U.S. IN THE LAST 13 YEARS

AND THE NEXT HIGHEST COUNTRY WAS

CANADA WITH TWO.

AND THE COUNTRIES THAT HAVE LOW

TO NO SCHOOL SHOOTINGS, LOW

MURDER RATES, HAVE STRICTER GUN

MEASURES.

WOULDN'T ANY REASONABLE PERSON

CONCLUDE THAT THE X FACTOR IN

THE UNITED STATES IS GUNS AND

THE PERMITS OF GUN LAWS?

>> WELL, I DON'T THINK THAT IS

THE SURVEY THE CAUSE OF IT.

I LOOK AT THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE

OF THE UNITED STATES.

THE POPULATION MIX WE HAVE.

THE NUMBER OF ACTUALLY

FATHERLESS CHILDREN THAT ARE OUT

THERE.

THAT DON'T GET GUIDANCE.

THE FACT THAT A LOT OF THE KIDS

NEED MENTAL HELP AND THERE IS NO

HELP AVAILABLE FOR THEM.

THERE'S ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT

WE CAN DO BESIDES TAKING A

FIREARMS AWAY FROM LAW-ABIDING

CITIZENS.

WE WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE THING

ABOUT MAKING SCHOOLS SAFER.

AND THE PLANS ARE OUT THERE.

AND YET WE DID ABSOLUTELY

NOTHING.

WE DIDN'T DO THE -- WE DID THE

EASY STUFF LIKE LOCK THE DOORS

AND THEN THEY LEAVE THE DOOR

OPEN.

SOME PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO HAVE

SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.

SOME PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO HAVE

TRAINING FOR THE CHILDREN ABOUT

WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY GET A

SHOOTER OR A KILLER OF SOME

KIND.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE WITH A

FIREARM IN THE SCHOOL.

SO WE HAVE NOT DONE ANY OF THAT

STUFF.

>> DAN KOTOWSKI?

>> AS SOMEONE WHO SPONSORED THE

LAW THAT REQUIRED SCHOOL SAFETY

DRILLS, I'VE WORKED OVER DECADES

TO MAKE SURE WE PUT REASONABLE

MEASURES IN PLACE TO PROTECT

PEOPLE'S INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND

WHILE ALSO MAKING SURE OUR KIDS

AND FAMILIES ARE SAFE.

AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO HEAR THIS

CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH

BECAUSE PEOPLE STRUGGLE WITH

MENTAL HEALTH ALL OVER THE

WORLD.

THEY STRUGGLE WITH DEPRESSION

AND ANXIETY.

THEY JUST DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO

WEAPONS THAT ARE THIS

DESTRUCTIVE.

THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO

WEAPONS THAT FIRE 30, 50, 100

ROUND MAGAZINE IT IS DOESN'T

EXIST IN THESE PLACES AND TO

BLAME MENTAL HEALTH IS AN

EXCUSE.

LOOK, I WORK IN AN AGENCY WHERE

WE HAVE A CAMP FOR CHILDREN WHO

LOST FAMILY MEMBERS TO HOMICIDE.

WE LITERALLY HAVE A CAMP.

MOST OF THE KIDS HAVE LOST THEIR

MOMS AND KIDS AND BROTHERS AND

SISTERS TO GUN VIOLENCE.

AND WE PROVIDE THEM WITH

ONE-ON-ONE THERAPY, GROUP WORK

IN A CAMP WHERE THEY CAN COME

TOGETHER AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS

ABOUT HOW ARE THEY GOING TO HEAL

FROM THE GRIEF, AND MAKE SURE

THEY ARE NOT DEFINED BY THEIR

GRIEF.

THE REALITY IS EVERYBODY

THROUGHOUT THE PLANET STRUGGLES

WITH MENTAL ILLNESS WE ARE THE

ONLY COUNTRY ON THE PLANET THAT

STRUGGLES WITH EASY AND READY

ACCESSIBILITY OF MILITARY STYLE

ASSAULT WEAPONS.

>> AND YOU DON'T WANT GUNS TAKEN

AWAY FROM LAW ABIDING CITIZENS.

THE FREEM SUPREME COURT AFFIRMED

THE SECOND AMENDMENT.

ARE THERE REASONABLE

RESTRICTIONS THAT THE WOULD NOT

INFRINGE ON THE RIGHTS OF

LAW-ABIDING GUN OWNERS?

>> WELL, WE TALK ABOUT THE

BACKGROUND CHECKS BECAUSE

ILLINOIS IS A LITTLE BIT UNUSUAL

YOU CAN BUY A FIREARM YOU HAVE

TO GO THROUGH A BACKGROUND CHECK

AND TO DO THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE

AN FOID CARD AND TO HAVE AN FOID

CARD YOU GO THROUGH A MENTAL

HEALTH AND A LEGAL BACKGROUND

CHECK EVERY NIGHT OF THE YEAR

AND IF YOU HAVE A CONCEALED

CARRY PERMIT YOU GO THROUGH TWO

OF THEM.

ILLINOIS IS TIGHT COMPARED TO

THE OTHER STATES.

I WILL SAY THAT.

AND SO YOU HAVE KEEP AN EYE ON

THESE THINGS.

>> YOU ARE SAYING THE OTHER

STATES COULD ADOPT POLICIES AND

PERHAPS BRING THE OVERALL RATE

DOWN?

>> THERE'S BEEN PROPOSALS THAT

TALK ABOUT DOING THAT.

BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE.

THERE ARE ONLY FOUR STATES THAT

DO THIS, ILLINOIS,

MASSACHUSETTS, I CAN'T REMEMBER

THE OTHER ONE, NORTH CAROLINA

MAYBE.

BUT SO TO DO TIGHT BACKGROUND

CHECKS AS WE DO.

WE USE THE NATIONAL CHECK SYSTEM

BUT ADMINISTERED BY THE ILLINOIS

STATE POLICE.

TO PURCHASE A FIREARM AND

PURCHASE A FIREARM PRIVATELY YOU

HAVE TO GET AN APPROVAL NUMBER

FROM THE ILLINOIS STATE POLICE.

YOU HAVE HAVE THE FOID CARD, THE

PERSON'S BIRTHDAY AND IT TELLS

YOU UP-TO-DATE WHAT YOUR

STANDARD IS.

>> THERE ARE A LOT OF LEVELS

HERE.

DAN KOTOWSKI ABOUT ILLINOIS

STATE POLICE THEY ARE THE UP

WITHS CHARGED WITH TAKING GUNS

AWAY PERHAPS UNDER THE STATE'S

RED FLAG LAWS.

DOES THAT SYSTEM WORK IN

ILLINOIS?

>> HERE IS THE THING.

YES, BUT THAT IS AN ARGUMENT

THAT WAS POSED BY THE OTHER

GUEST HERE FOR UNIFORMITY

FEDERALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT

DANGEROUS PEOPLE DON'T GET

ACCESS TO GUNS.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REALIZE THIS

YOU CAN ACCESS THROUGH CERTAIN

BACKGROUND CHECKS TO GET MACHINE

GUNS MADE BEFORE A CERTAIN TIME

IN OUR COUNTRY.

BUT YOU NEED TO BE REGISTERED,

YOU NEED TO BE FINGERPRINTED AND

GO THROUGH ALL THESE MEASURES

AND YOU DON'T SEE A LOT OF

SITUATIONS WITH PEOPLE USING

MACHINE GUNS.

YOU SEE THEM USING MILITARY

ASSAULT RIFLES THAT ARE NOT

REGULATED.

THIS IS A TEDDY BEAR.

TEDDY BEARS ARE MORE STRICTLY

REGULATED IN TERMS OF PRODUCTION

THAN GUNS.

THEY HAVE TO PASS SHARP ENDS,

LOOSE PARTS AND FLAMMABILITY.

A COUPLE YEARS AGO BUILD A BEAR

RECALLED 300,000 TEDDY BEARS

BECAUSE THE EYES PRESENTED A

RISK TO KIDS BECAUSE THEY WOULD

CHOKE ON THEM.

THE GUN MANUFACTURERS HAVE BEEN

GIVEN A FREE PASS BY CONGRESS

FOR TOO LONG.

IT'S CREATED A PROBLEM.

THE GUN USES TODDLERS IN ADS TO

MARKET MILITARY STYLE ASSAULT

RIFLES.

>> A LOT TO DIG INTO HERE.

>> THEY NEED TO STAND UP AND BE

RESPONSIBLE.