Chicago City Wire

New details have emerged from Sen. Kimberly Lightford’s (D-Maywood) Dec. 21 carjacking revealing her husband fired a gun at carjackers despite his wife’s prior opposition to concealed carry.

Lightford’s husband, Eric McKinnie, was carrying a concealed weapon at the time and fired on the carjackers, she told WGN-TV.

The detail was previously left out of the Broadview Police press release describing the incident.

"I think they were shooting at my husband and me, and lucky enough my husband is conceal and carry, and he was able to protect us. He handled us, and he saved us. I call my husband my hero today,” Lightford, who is Illinois Senate Majority Leader, told WBBM News.

Lightford’s comments are notable given her previous opposition to concealed carry legislation.

“I guess Lightford's husband carries a gun because a cop is too heavy. She has opposed concealed carry as a legislator,” AM560 Morning Answer radio host Dan Proft tweeted.  

In 2013 Lightford was one of 17 senators who voted against the sate’s concealed carry law, the very law McKinnie used to protect the couple.

“I just don't feel that this bill has gone far enough to protect us,” Lightford said of the Firearm Concealed Carry Act at the time.  

In comments over the Christmas holiday, Lightford described to WGN-TV how she begged the carjackers for her life before her husband shot at them.

“I begged them not to shoot us, and I begged them not to shoot my husband, not to shoot me. I told them to take whatever they want. They took everything off me that I had of value, and I offered the car, and my husband slid them the keys,” she said.

She said after she and her husband were separated by the carjackers he yelled at her to run and began firing on them.

“I ran reluctantly, because I didn’t want to leave him there. And it was a scary run, because now shots are being fired. I thought for sure they were going to shoot me down. So it was difficult,” Lightford told WBBM.

Lightford described the Mercedes she was driving at the time was a “loaner” vehicle.

Carjackings are up in Chicago 32% over 2020.

In the wake of state struggles with processing concealed carry licenses, some Illinois legislators have called for concealed carry to be allowed for everyone without a permit.