Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL,2) urged state lawmakers to take action on gun violence during a Sunday visit to the site of a recent fatal shooting in Chicago's Morgan Park neighborhood. Gun violence over the fourth of July holiday weekend in Chicago left 16 people dead and more than 60 others injured. 

Quinn and Kelly called on state legislators to pass the Illinois Public Safety Act, which seeks to ban the sale or delivery of assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines in Illinois and require background checks for the transfer of guns, according to a release from the governor's office.

“The recent epidemic of violence in Chicago is unacceptable and we must join together to fight back,” Quinn said in a statement. “Public safety is government's foremost mission and Illinois should not wait any longer to act. There are too many victims of a war being waged on our streets, a war fueled in part by the availability of deadly, military-style assault weapons that have no purpose other than killing.

“We must work together to protect the lives of those we love and stop what's happening in our communities. I urge the Illinois General Assembly to take a stand and pass this legislation that will save lives and protect communities."

The Illinois Public Safety Act, SB 3659, was introduced in the Senate by State Sen. Dan Kotowski (D-Park Ridge) in mid-May and was referred to the assignments committee. 

“This is a common-sense solution to preventing gun violence and keeping our children and families safe,” Kotowski added. “This measure will protect our communities by ensuring that military-style assault weapons are off the streets and out of hands of criminals.”

Last month, Kelly released the 2014 Kelly Report on Gun Violence in America, which includes an analysis of the nation’s gun violence epidemic and provides recommendations to tackle the problem.