Chicago City Wire

An incident in the early morning hours of Aug. 22 in which a 45-year-old man with a concealed carry permit shot a carjacker on the West Side prompted remarks from gubernatorial candidate Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Louisville).

“Under J.B. Pritzker and Lori Lightfoot, the people of Illinois are in more danger of becoming a victim of crime than in many recent years," Bailey said. "This incident highlights the importance of honest people being able to exercise their Constitutional rights. Pritzker and Lightfoot want to punish honest citizens by seeking to limit their rights while at the same letting violent criminals back onto the street. We need leaders who will protect our rights and protect our communities."

Around 1:27 a.m., on Aug. 22, a man was in his car in the 5500-block of West Crystal Street when, according to police, the suspect approached him, pulled a handgun, and started shooting. The victim shot back. The victim was unharmed while the suspect sustained an upper chest injury, ABC7 Chicago reported.

The surge in violence in Chicago has drawn criticism for Lori Lightfoot, the mayor of Chicago, Gov. J.B. Pritzker,  and Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx. Pritzker has faced criticism for the state's rising crime statistics. Bailey has criticized Pritzker in particular for the harm that he believes the SAFE-T Act, which goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2023, will bring about. 

Pritzker also received disapproval from Illinois GOP Chairman Don Tracy who said that the governor "has the abnormal and insane governing philosophy that prioritizes the thoughts and feelings of violent criminals above law enforcement and public safety. Four more years of J.B. Pritzker is dangerous for Illinois,” Will County Gazette reported. 

Poor working conditions for the city's police officers have been attributed to the leadership of Lightfoot which also reaped Cook County Commissioner candidate Matt Podgorski's remarks.  

"All days off (RDOs) for police officers have once again been cancelled," Podgorski wrote on Facebook. "All officers are required to work through Father’s Day (at least). Because the CPD failed to recruit, hire, and staff at adequate numbers, Chicago’s Finest are forced to work 12, 16, even 20 days in a row, without a single day off. That is unacceptable.”

In addition to fighting for Illinoisans' Constitutional rights to bear arms and opposing the FOID bill, Bailey is also a longtime member of Guns Save Life.