NOW, WE TOSS IT BACK TO YOU IN THAT WARM STUDIO.

>> OF COURSE, PARIS.

FIND SOMEPLACE WARM YOURSELF.

THANK YOU.

>>> GUNS CLASSIFIED BY THE STATE OF ILLINOIS AS ASSAULT WEAPONS HAVE BEEN BANNED SINCE JANUARY 11th, MEANING THAT HUNDREDS, PERHAPS THOUSANDS OF GUNS CAN NO LONGER BE LEGALLY SOLD IN ILLINOIS.

THOSE WHO ALREADY OWN GUNS AND AMMUNITION COVERED BY THE BAND CAN KEEP HIM, BUT THEY MUST REGISTER WITH THE STATE.

AMANDA EXPLAINS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GUNS COVERED BY THE LAW AND THOSE THAT ARE STILL LEGAL >> Reporter: IT WAS A SUNNY SUMMER MORNING, PERFECT FOR THE POST-COVID RETURN OF HIGHLAND PARK'S FOURTH OF JULY PARADE, UNTIL 10:14 A.M. >> LITERALLY COME OUT OF THIS CLEAR BLUE SKY, I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE I WOULD DESCRIBE AS MANY FIRECRACKERS GOING OFF.

>> Reporter: IT WASN'T FIRECRACKERS, IT WAS HAILING BULLETS.

MONTHS LATER, LAUREN BENNETT TESTIFIED BEFORE ILLINOIS LAWMAKERS ABOUT HOW IT FELT AS IF SHE WAS SHOT IN HER HIP AND UPPER BACK.

HOW SHE FEARED FOR HER LIFE AND THAT OF HER YOUNG SONS.

>> IMAGINE A HOT, METAL, DART LIKE PROJECTILE TEARING THROUGH YOUR BODY AT SUPERSONIC SPEEDS, AND LIKELY YOU'LL GRAB WHATEVER PART OF YOUR BODY WAS HIT, BECAUSE YOU KNOW SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT.

ONLY TO FEEL THAT EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF BLOOD DRAINING OUT OF YOU AND SOAKING EVERYTHING.

>> Reporter: SALES OF THE TYPE OF AR 15 STYLE GUNS USED IN THE FOURTH OF JULY ATTACK, WHICH LEFT SEVEN DEAD, ARE NOW BANNED IN ILLINOIS, AS ARE NEARLY 200 OTHER GUNS CLASSIFIED BY A NEW STATE LAW AS ASSAULT WEAPONS .

>> ILLINOIS NOW OFFICIALLY PROHIBITS THE SALE AND DISTRIBUTION OF THESE MASS KILLING MACHINES .

>> Reporter: EXCEPT MANY GUN OWNERS AND SELLERS SAY THE BAND'S GUNS ARE NOT MILITARY GRADE WEAPONS OF WAR.

DAN ELDRIDGE IS PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL FIREARMS LICENSEES OF ILLINOIS.

THE GUN DEALERS GROUP IS SUING IN FEDERAL COURT TO STRIKE DOWN THE LAW.

ELDRIDGE OWNS SHOOTER SUPPLIES AND INDOOR GUN RANGE IN DES PLAINES, AND HAD TO PULL 15% TO 20% OF HIS INVENTORY OFF THE SHELVES AS SOON AS GOVERNOR PRITZKER SIGNED THE LAW IN EARLY JANUARY.

LIKE AR 15 STYLE RIFLES.

>> IT'S AMERICA'S FAVORITE RIFLE PLATFORM, EDITS, IT IS THAT BECAUSE IT IS HIGHLY ADAPTABLE TO ALL SHAPES AND SIZES OF PEOPLE, EASILY ACCESSORIZED, IT'S LEFT ON STANDARD, AVAILABLE AT A WIDE VARIETY OF PRICE POINTS WITH FEATURES.

IT, IT REALLY IS A, A MODERN SPORTING RIFLE.

>> YOU JUST DESCRIBED ENDED AR 15 IS A MODERN SPORTING RIFLE.

ADVOCATES OF THIS BAND SAY NO, THAT'S AN ASSAULT WEAPON.

>> THE TERM ITSELF, ASSAULT WEAPON, IS A MADE UP TERM BY THE GUN-CONTROL PEOPLE IN THE LATE '80S TRYING TO CONFLATE SEMIAUTOMATIC RIFLES WITH MACHINE GUNS.

IT'S A MADE UP TERM THAT HAS ABSOLUTELY NO MEETING.

>> Reporter: ELDRIDGE SAYS AR PATTERN GUNS ARE POPULAR, UBIQUITOUS , WITH AN ESTIMATED 1 MILLION TO 2 MILLION LEGALLY OWNED BY ILLINOIS RESIDENTS.

AS THE LAWSUIT PUT IT, IF THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS MEANS ANYTHING, IT MEANS THAT THE GOVERNMENT CANNOT BAN THE MOST POPULAR FIREARM IN THE COUNTRY, AN ARGUMENT ELDRIDGE SAYS IS BACKED BY U.S. SUPREME COURT PRECEDENT.

BUT WHICH COOK COUNTY SHERIFF TOM DART SAYS MAKES NO COMMON SENSE, CONSIDERING AK AND THEY ARE STYLE GUNS ARE POPULAR WITH THE WRONG CROWD, WHO HE CALLS THE BAD GUYS.

>> BEHIND ME RIGHT NOW IS JUST SOME OF THE WEAPONS WE'VE GOTTEN RECENTLY.

THIS WAS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE.

SO, LIKE, 16 YEARS AGO, WHEN I STARTED, THIS WAS NOT NORMAL.

WE WOULDN'T GET THESE TYPE OF WEAPONS WITH THIS TYPE OF LETHALITY.

>> Reporter: HE SAYS, NOW, IT'S THE NORM.

DARTS TEAM GAVE US A DEMONSTRATION OF AN AR SEMI AUTOMATIC RIFLE, SO-CALLED BECAUSE ROUNDS AUTOMATICALLY RELOAD, BUT THE TRIGGER MUST BE MANUALLY PULLED EACH TIME TO FIRE THE BULLET.

A CASE DIALOGUE GOD ALSO NOW BANNED ARE SIMILAR.

IN THIS DEMO, THE SHOOTER MANUALLY PULLED THE TRIGGER AS FAST AS HE SAFELY CAN.

COMPARE THAT WITH THE SPEED A GLOCK FIRES WHEN OUTFITTED WITH WHAT'S CALLED A SWITCH.

IT'S LIKE A LIGHT SWITCH.

WITH A QUICK FLICK OF THE SWITCH, A SEMI AUTOMATIC GUN BECOMES AUTOMATIC.

THE GUN FIRES AS LONG AS THE TRIGGER IS PULLED.

SWITCHES WERE ALREADY FEDERALLY ILLEGAL, BUT THEY'RE NOW ALSO COVERED UNDER THE NEW STATE STATUTE.

THE POPULAR GLOCK STYLE HANDGUN IS STILL LEGAL UNDER ILLINOIS'S NEW LAW, BUT ISN'T, HOWEVER, MAGAZINES THAT HOLD ANYTHING OVER 15 ROUNDS, LIKE THIS , WHICH HAD THE CAPACITY TO FIRE 30 BULLETS.

ELDRIDGE ISN'T FIGHTING ABOUT THE SWITCH BAND, THOUGH HE SAYS THE STATE PROVISION .

AUTOMATIC OR MACHINE GUNS WERE ALREADY AGAINST THE LAW IN ILLINOIS , BUT ELDRIDGE SAYS LAWMAKERS OVERSTEPPED WITH THE NEW LAW.

I ASKED HIM, JUST BECAUSE THESE GUNS AND FEATURES ARE POPULAR, IF THEY'RE USED IN MASS MURDERS, IS IT REASONABLE TO USE THE LAW TO PREVENT THE PROLIFERATION?

>> PEOPLE WHO MAKE AN ARGUMENT, OR, AGAIN, CONFLATING LAWFUL USE AND UNLAWFUL USE.

IT'S UNLAWFUL TO MURDER PEOPLE.

WHETHER YOU DO IT WITH A STEAK KNIFE OR A RIFLE OR A HANDGUN.

YEAH, WILL THE BAD GUYS STILL BE ABLE TO GET THEIR HANDS ON IT?

PROBABLY, BUT INSTEAD OF GETTING IT IN TWO DAYS, MAYBE NOW IT'LL TAKE TWO WEEKS.

NOW, INSTEAD OF GOING FOR $300, $400 IN THE STREETS, IT'S $1000, BECAUSE THEY'RE HARDER TO FIND.

>> Reporter: DART SAYS THE LAW'S DRAFTERS WERE METICULOUS, SURGICAL, WITH WHAT GUNS AND FEATURES THEY INCLUDED.

IT'S A MOVING TARGET.

THE LAW ALLOWS STATE POLICE TO ADD MORE GUNS TO KEEP UP WITH TECHNOLOGY AND MANUFACTURING.

>> YOU TRY TO EXPLAIN TO ME HOW WHEN WE PULL SOMEONE OVER, YOU KNOW, LAST NIGHT, WE FOUND A CAR WITH THREE OF THESE.

WHEN THEY HAVE EXTENDED MAGAZINES, YOU TRY AND TELL ME THAT'S FOR PERSONAL PROTECTION?

COME ON.

LET'S BE REAL HERE.

LET'S STOP PLAYING GAMES.

>> Reporter: DART SAYS HE WISHES THE LAW WENT FURTHER BY INCLUDING MORE SEVERE PUNISHMENT FOR THOSE WHO CARRY EXTENDED MAGAZINES THAT HE SAYS ARE CLEARLY MEANT FOR THE BATTLEFIELD, NOT FOR SELF-DEFENSE.

FOR CHICAGO TONIGHT, I'M AMANDA.

>> ILLINOIS LAW DOESN'T JUST OUTLAW TYPES OF GUNS AND LIMIT MAGAZINE SIZE.

IT ALSO BANS A SLEW OF GUN FEATURES, INCLUDING THREADED BARRELS AND