US

Lori Lightfoot’s Claim That Mississippi Gun Laws Caused Chicago’s Violence Is A ‘Pathetic,’ ‘Ridiculous Conspiracy Theory,’ Governor Says

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Republican Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves called Democratic Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s claim that Mississippi gun laws were to blame for her city’s crime a “ridiculous conspiracy theory” Wednesday.

Lightfoot alleged in an MSNBC interview Tuesday that “60%” of Chicago’s illegal guns are being imported “from Indiana, from Mississippi, from other states that have lax gun laws.”

Chicago Mayor @LoriLightfoot blames Indiana and Mississippi for the spate of shootings in the city. pic.twitter.com/2C1iBvyB0L

— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) August 18, 2020

Reeves called Lightfoot’s assertion “bizarre and pathetic” in a statement to Y’all Politics, a blog that identifies itself as the longest running online political commentary outlet in Mississippi.

“This ridiculous conspiracy theory from the Chicago mayor—that Mississippians are to blame for the violence in her own city—is bizarre and pathetic,” Reeves told the outlet. “No serious person could think that murders are out of control and people are burning police cars in Chicago because of Mississippi’s commitment to the constitution.”

The Republican governor also shared a response to Lightfoot’s statements on Twitter, claiming her city is “letting criminals run free.”

“The Chicago mayor says Mississippians are to blame for the out-of-control violence plaguing her city,” his post read. “It’s a pathetic excuse for the failure of left-wing experiments in undermining police and letting criminals run free.”

The Chicago mayor says Mississippians are to blame for the out-of-control violence plaguing her city. It’s a pathetic excuse for the failure of left-wing experiments in undermining police and letting criminals run free. https://t.co/AwM3lvx1c0

— Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) August 19, 2020

From 2013 to 2016, Chicago authorities seized nearly 7,000 guns each year that were either illegally possessed or used in crimes, according to a 2017 report from the city, which is the most recent version available. The number of seizures was higher than both New York City and Los Angeles, the data showed.

There were 406 total shootings in the city and 105 murders in July, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The number of murders in July increased 139% and shootings rose by 75% compared to the same month in 2019, the local outlet reported.