Recent incidents involving multiple tow trucks chasing, ramming, and even gunfire are concerning. Competition between tow truck drivers for the same tow has happened before.
Today: “A call came in of two tow trucks chasing and ramming into one another. 2 male Hispanics, one reported to have had a weapon. A squad car was on scene to witness the events.” There were at least four, maybe five, trucks involved.

Man, these accident chasers are really out here fighting over who gets to tow a ’98 Toyota Corolla—right in front of the cops. #chicagoscanner #chicago pic.twitter.com/iUU8hJX3MQ

— CHICAGO CRITTER (@ChicagoCritter) September 26, 2024

In January, “A tow truck driver opened fire on two competitors over a job, only to learn the hard way that the competitors were armed concealed-carry license holders, according to prosecutors.”

Then, in June, “Once the vehicles were stopped, the driver of the tow truck allegedly pulled out a gun, and the other driver, who has a valid concealed carry license (CCL), pulled out a gun and fired one shot, striking the tow truck driver.” (I’m not sure who was the guilty party in this one.)

It’s clear that the focus should be on individual responsibility rather than blaming the object used. Chicago has some of the strictest gun control laws in the country, and lawmakers can’t keep blaming the weapon.

Requirements for Obtaining a FOID Card:

• Age: Applicants must be at least 21 years old.
• Background Check: The Illinois State Police will check against the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Disqualifications include felony convictions, certain misdemeanors, or being subject to an order of protection.
• Application Process: You must submit fingerprints via an online or paper application. A FOID card costs $10 and is valid for ten years.
• Renewal: Since January 1, 2022, a FOID card is typically valid for ten years. If you’ve submitted fingerprints, there’s an automatic renewal process, simplifying the renewal by extending your card’s validity upon a firearm transaction if your background check remains clear. If you don’t buy a firearm, you must renew online. However, the card has no expiration date printed on it, so you’ll need to watch the website to find out when your renewal is due.
• Non-Resident Exemption: An interesting aspect is that non-Illinois residents with a valid firearm permit from their state are exempt from needing a FOID card in Illinois.

Can you carry a gun in Illinois with a FOID card?

You can not carry a gun in Illinois with just a FOID. You must take a 16-hour class and then apply for a concealed carry license (CCL).

“(430 ILCS 65/2) (from Ch. 38, par. 83-2)
(a) (1) No person may acquire or possess any firearm, stun gun, or taser within this State without having in his or her possession a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card previously issued in his or her name by the Illinois State Police under the provisions of this Act.
(2) No person may acquire or possess firearm ammunition within this State without having in his or her possession a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card ……”

FOID Legal Implications and Controversies:

The FOID card requirement has faced legal challenges, with arguments over its infringement on Second Amendment rights. Possessing a firearm or even ammunition without a valid FOID card in Illinois can lead to criminal charges, and most firearm owners argue it’s an unnecessary burden on law-abiding citizens.

The FOID card is unique to Illinois law. An Illinois Circuit Court Judge ruled that the requirement for possessing a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card to possess a gun in the home is unconstitutional, but for now, the state has not changed the law to comply.

None of those arrested live locally, and here’s some information on 16 of them:

Sept – Jalen Littleton 19 Indiana
Sept – Darron Prince 36 Joliet
Sept – Ronald Richardson 34 Chicago
Oct – Cornelius Clark Jr 35 Chicago
Dec – Demarveus Butler 19 Michigan City (same incident)
Dec – Terrance Reed 27 Chicago (same incident)
Dec – Rubin Tart 24 Chicago (same incident)
Dec – Dequan J. Dent Davis 26 Calumet City
April – Leroy Slater 37 Hazel Crest
Feb – Antwan Donete Lee 31 Chicago
Feb – Joshua Ramon Menson 34 Gary
March –  Clarence Lamont Massey Jr. 24 Chicago
March –  Dijon Lane 34 Blue Island
March- Tavell Jackson 44 Maywood
July – Camarion Jai Cobbins 19 Huntsville, Alabama
July – Jeremy Boykins 36 East Chicago, Indiana

The city website lists Naperville, Illinois, as one of the safest cities in the nation.

“In 2022 and 2023, MoneyGeek named Naperville the safest city in America. In 2020, Naperville was ranked No. 1 on SafeWise’s America’s Safest Cities to Raise a Child report, which ranks safety by low property crimes, violent crimes, and the number of sex offenders.”

Illinois has some of the strictest firearm laws in the country, and a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card is required just to purchase ammunition.

Since none of these people live anywhere close, why pick this spot? Is it that great of a driving range….

There were three people involved. Some of them broke into his home office, stole keys, and attempted to take his Ferrari and Range Rover. One car was parked at the end of the driveway, but the other was behind a gate the group couldn’t open.

The homeowner rushed outside and warned the group to stop or he would shoot. One thief shot a gun, and the homeowner fired back seven times from behind a tree.

Two men fled the scene in a getaway car, while the third ran off. Police said they recovered over 30 shell casings from the scene.

The three suspects are still on the run, but the Winnetka police gave out descriptions:

As a mother, the thought of a home invasion is terrifying. But what’s even scarier is the idea of calling 911 and being told that no units are available to help.

“I saw two men wearing masks standing inside my house,” she said. “I screamed, ‘I am calling the police,’ and they bolted.”

Chicago mom had to wait hours for help because 911 told her, "We have no units to send you."

As a mother, the thought of a home invasion is terrifying. But what's even scarier is the idea of calling 911 and being told that no units are available to help.

"I saw two men wearing… pic.twitter.com/f2Z1I7OFBO

— LetsTalkDefensiveGunUse (@LetsTalkDGU) May 19, 2024

This incident occurred just after noon in broad daylight in a safe area. She called 911 multiple times, and on the sixth attempt, she requested to speak with a supervisor.

“A gentleman got on and said sorry to say we have no units to send you…then there was an awkward pause,” she said. “He also recommended I call my alderman, and I said why- and he said encourage him to hire more police. The dispatcher also asked me if I would consider defending myself …if I had a weapon or considered getting one.”

Police departments are struggling to find new recruits, so don’t expect response times to improve anytime soon. Thankfully, they took off, and there wasn’t a confrontation.

Can you imagine being a mother at home with your kids and having 911 inform you that help is not coming?

She probably would have received a faster response if the home invaders had been inside, but if all police units had been busy with other calls, it would have already been too late.

Always be prepared to protect yourself and your loved ones.

“The vehicle found in the alley here, we believe it was the officer’s,” 15th Ward Ald. Ray Lopez said. “If it was a carjacking, there might be evidence inside… an attempted carjacking… who knows, but all that evidence is being collected right now.”

Officer Huesca served in the Chicago Police Department for six years and was about to celebrate his 31st birthday in a couple of days.

“Another sad day in Chicago. Another sad day for the Chicago Police Department,” said Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling. “We lost one of our own today.”

Officer Huesca sustained multiple gunshot wounds, and despite the theft of his vehicle, the Chicago Police Superintendent has not said it was a carjacking.

“The officer’s vehicle was taken, but to get to the total motive of what happened, we need more information.”

Anthony Riccio, the former first deputy superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, expressed that the department’s operations often come to a standstill. “Operations as we know them, business as usual, is not business as usual. We go into this mourning period. There’s a lot of frustration. There’s a lot of sadness.”

According to Chicago FOP President John Catanzara, Jr., the criminals targeted Huesca’s vehicle and, because he was a cop, killed him. “They had to execute him because he was a Chicago police officer, and they didn’t want to get caught.”

“If they will do that to a Chicago Police officer, does anybody think the average citizen stands a chance in any of these situations – because you do not?”

In the past year, there have been at least seven other cases of off-duty officers being robbed, including the tragic death of Aréanah Preston, a Chicago police officer, who was fatally shot after her shift last May.

The Cook County Sheriff’s Department and the ATF are assisting the CPD in the investigation.

There’s not enough room to list the number of random shots fired that were picked up by ShotSpotter with whom Mayor Johson has canceled the contract.

Most of these shootings appear to be gang-related, and there was a mass shooting where an 8-year-old girl was killed and 10 more wounded.

Will Mayor Johnson come out and say anything? Probably not, but if so, it will most likely be some gibberish about disenfranchised silly kids again.

In Chicago, there were more fatalities and injuries than there were from the 300 drones and missiles fired at Israel the day before.

Think about that.

By Monday morning, the death toll over the weekend had reached eight, with 40 additional people left wounded.

HeyJackass tracks the number of shootings in Chicago, and currently there have been.

• 122 people were shot and Killed
• 550 people shot and wounded
• 672 total people were shot this year, with 144 total homicides.

In February, four armed men in Chicago jumped out of a vehicle as a woman was walking to the train early in the morning, heading for work. The first assault and robbery lasted for over two minutes as they attacked her on the sidewalk, taking her belongings.

Trying to get help, she went into the street, but neither a CTA bus nor the two cars that went by stopped.

The assailants then returned and forced her to unlock her phone.

The police report said these guys were “laughing while this all happened,” and the bus driver witnessed the robbery.

Adriana’s daughter said, “They told her they were going to shoot her if she didn’t give them the pin,” and that “the next time they came, she thought they were going to kill her for the same thing.”

“Maybe I was a bit overconfident,” the woman said. “It never went through my head that something like this could happen to me.”

I can’t stress enough that complacency can get you killed, and if something happens, you will most likely be on your own.

4 out of 5 altercations are avoidable, so don’t become a target.

Is banning certain items like guns and knives the solution, or is cracking down on criminals the solution?

Yesterday’s mass stabbing was west of Chicago in Rockford, IL. It started with a home invasion, and when a “good Samaritan” stepped in, the attacker went to other homes in the neighborhood, continuing to stab people. Things might have turned out much differently if that good Samaritan had been armed.

No matter how many weapons you try to ban or regulate, criminals will find something to use. Bottles and other blunt objects are common, and we live in a world where almost anything can be turned into a weapon.

• There was over 4600 stabbings and slashings occurred in New York (not counting the number of crimes that resulted in no injuries) in 2023.
• In 2023, Chicago had over 27,000 violent crimes, with 2501 people shot and another 576 killed.
• Strong gun laws in England didn’t stop Wednesday’s attack. Last year, London had around 13,000 reported stabbings (36 per day). Two-thirds of the 103 homicides were stabbing-related.

The average age of an offender in the London homicides was in their 30s, and they were 40% black, 20% declined to define ethnicity (I would like to know how this category is possible), and 18% were white.

The stabbing victims were 43% white, 35% black, and 18% Asian.

This isn’t a gun issue; it’s a criminal issue.

A guy in a hoodie gets out of the Charger and tries to hide the rifle in his pants. Technically, I guess it may be a pistol, but it’s hard to measure the barrel length on the screen, and I get confused about what falls in what category, anyway.

@cpd1617scanner reported the vehicle was stolen and wanted in connection with shots being fired.

A man was caught on camera holding an AR-15 style rifle at 87th and Racine in #Chicago

The car was wanted after an incident where shots were fired. The car was also reported stolen.

This is the kind of artillery numerous gang members are running around with with in Chicago and… pic.twitter.com/2jCco46PAs

— 16th & 17th District Chicago Police Scanner (@CPD1617Scanner) March 12, 2024

Illinois has tightened its restrictions on what it considers assault weapons, yet, in the past year, the instances of this style of rifle being caught on camera appear to have gone up considerably.

I have a few questions:

• Do you think the guy registered the gun as required under Illinois law?
• Does he have a CCL or FOID?
• Were police allowed to go after them, considering Chicago’s no-pursuit policy?

My guess is that the car and the occupants are still wanted. If you don’t let the police do their jobs and go after law-abiding gun owners, this is what you get.