An Illinois woman has been arrested and charged for flailing a gun with an extended magazine at a morning gathering, police say.
On Saturday, witnesses called police to report about the woman, named Debriana Walker, who was waving a gun around while people gathered for an outdoor event in Rockford. When police arrived, witnesses pointed out the 23-year-old who was arrested at the scene and taken to the County Jail.
While at the jail, authorities found that the weapon Walker was waving was loaded.
Hours after Walker’s arrest, police were contacted again to respond to a call of loud noise at the same event. The tenant hosting the gathering was issued a citation for Offensive Use of Property, according to WREX.
Meanwhile, the Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Office has charged Walker with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.
The news comes on the heels of rising gun violence in Illinois’s capital city.
According to One Aim Illinois, “someone is killed with a gun every six hours in Illinois and, in an average year, at least 1,363 people die from gun violence.” Furthermore, “Illinois has the 9th highest rate of gun homicides in the country, and of all homicides in Illinois, 80% involve a gun” and “from 2010–2019, gun deaths increased 32%. From 2015–2019, suicides accounted for 38.4% of all firearm deaths in Illinois.”
The report continues: “Black individuals comprise nearly 50% of all firearm deaths in Illinois, even though Black individuals make up only 14.6% of the population.”
“While many may think of gun violence as an urban issue that only affects the Chicago area, communities across the state are impacted by this public health crisis,” reads a statement on its website. “Gun violence is a complex issue that includes gun homicides, suicides, accidental shootings, and non-fatal injury. Here, we present key facts about the impact of illegal guns in Illinois. Data can help drive targeted interventions to effectively reduce the flow of illegal guns and improve community safety.”
