Rockford church leaders demand change surrounding gun violence

ROCKFORD (WREX) — As 2020 winds to a close, members of Rockford's faith community don't want the 36 people murdered in the city to die in vain.

LIVE FREE Rockford hosted a virtual press conference where Zion Baptist Reverend Edward Copeland said something must be done.

"What we're calling for as citizens of this city as well as this state is a comprehensive strategy to address gun violence," Copeland said.

To do that, the group encouraged people to talk to their local lawmakers about bringing in more resources to fight against gun violence.

The group also advocated for more regulations around FOID cards. LIVE FREE referenced SB1966 which passed the Illinois house, but never got traction in the senate. The bill calls for the renewal time for FOID cards to be cut in half from 10 years to 5 years, and for all applicants to be fingerprinted.