Cubs204 said: due to Illinois gun bills are changing and possibly would create penalties for victims of crime when they fail to report a stolen firearm in an arbitrarily determined time-frame. This means that anyone reporting a missing firearm will be investigated in order to determine whether they reported it in time. In other words, the victim becomes the suspect. My experience of something similar.. If someone lost a weapon to theft and you made a police report on it keep that paper work and if you fall into failing health. Past that paper work on to your family members. I had a gun stolen back in 1991 from Florida, the gun finally surfaced 2008 in Seattle Washington. Had I not kept that paper work after leaving the Navy and several moves from state to state, and a series of mistakes. I could have been facing prison time. The first time I've experienced this while I was in the Navy there was a young private in the Army we had to transport to the brig. He moved from Texas to California after joining the Army. Upon arriving to the Bay Area of Oakland CA. Someone stole his U-hual Van stole a lot of his possessions including a 9mm pistol. He reported it stolen, but didn't keep the paper work nor received any paper work on the gun being taken. A year later a robbery took place in the area were his U-hual was found and the weapon was wrestled away from the robber. The police traced the weapon and obtained a photo of the person the gun belonged to showed it to the victim. Even after the person said she couldn't identify the robber due to poor lighting... She eventually identified the Private from whom the gun was stolen from because of the picture they showed her. Although he was on the base at the time of the robbery at a bowling alley with other military personnel who testified to that. It didn't help him at all. Because he went to the bathroom for 15mn. What prosecutors said he left the bowling alley to comment the robbery and returned. The place of the robbery was 30mn away. In any case they were going to drop the charges if he could pass a police line up. She was able to pick him out of the line up. They were giving him a second chance at the time of our transporting him to another line up. From the photo's the police obtained of him, I don't know if he made it. Our chief wouldn't talk about it..... When it comes to stolen guns keep all paper work, and pass them on to family members to whom it may concern. Because it's not a matter if a stolen gun, will surface it's when. The gun stolen from me was a .25 Raven found in the dead hands of a robber. After I answered those certified letters and the detectives that came to my home. They asked was I interested in getting the gun back. I answered. NO! Destroy it. I still have that paperwork and then some.
