(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Illinois lawmakers on Monday heard from survivors of the July Fourth mass shooting in Highland Park as they consider a proposed statewide ban on assault weapons.
One visitor described what it feels like to be shot by one of the rifles.
"Imagine a hot, metal, dart-like projectile tearing through your body at supersonic speed, faster than the speed of sound," Lauren Bennett said.
"You'll feel it burn through your skin, and you'll likely grab whatever part of your body was hit, only to feel excessive amounts of blood draining out of you and soaking everything."
Bennett was one of 55 wounded when a rooftop sniper opened fire at the July Fourth parade. Seven people died.
She spoke at a Monday hearing for a bill that would ban assault weapons in Illinois and raise the age to obtain a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card.
State Rep. Denyse Wang Stoneback, D-Skokie, said lawmakers need to be more proactive: “We're absolutely not doing enough until we can go home and think that we've actually prevented, not acted reactively."
More hearings on the bill are scheduled for Thursday and next Monday. The sponsor wants to pass the measure in the early January lame-duck session.
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