Latest news with #Chuck's
CBS News
07-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Chuck's Gun Shop, linked to hundreds of Chicago gun crimes, closes "forever"
A controversial gun shop in Chicago's south suburbs has closed after decades in business. Chuck's Gun Shop in Riverdale has faced harsh criticism and protests for decades, with gun control advocates saying it was a significant source of guns used in Crimes in Chicago, and Second Amendment supporters standing by its owners. The shop's owners could not be reached for comment on the closure, announced only by a sign on the front door indicating they are "going fishing forever." Father Mike Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina Church on Chicago's South Side, has railed against the gun shop for years, and has organized protest rallies in front of the business. He and Rev. Jesse Jackson were arrested for trespassing in 2007 while protesting outside the shop. The reverend called the store's closure "an early Easter gift." Pfleger said he heard rumors about two months ago that the controversial gun shop might be closing; a shop he has railed against for years. "In 2014, Brady Campaign named Chuck's Gun Shop the worst in the nation," Pfleger said. In 2015, as Pfleger, Jackson, and others again protested outside the gun shop, the store's supporters came out dressed in yellow as a counter-protest. Two years later, the City of Chicago issued a gun trace report showing that, of nearly 1,500 guns recovered from crime scenes, 997 came from Chuck's Gun Shop – the single biggest source. The guns sold at Chuck's were most often found at crime scenes on the South Side; and of the guns found at crimes scenes, 60% had been purchased within the prior three years. "It's actually been a bad business and a dangerous business for Chicago for years," Pfleger said. "They did not care that they were making profits on the back of children dying in Chicago. No conscience about it at all." Without their biggest target, Pleger said gun control advocates in Chicago remain committed to ending gun violence. "We need wins. You know, we need wins in our life, and this is a win," he said. It's unclear when exactly the gun shop closed, and what's next for the building, but opponents said they're watching for what happens there next. "Hopefully, nobody else is going to try to all of a sudden prop up a store and try to fill in where Chuck's left off," Pfleger said. "We live in a capitalist society. Somebody is going to say, 'Oh, okay, Chuck's is gone, I'm going to open a business now. Well, a warning to them. We will come after you, and we will watch you just like we did Chuck's. I mean, I don't like or want anything to do with guns, but at least if you're going to sell guns, be a good business. Hold standards. Hold people to background checks. You know when there's somebody coming in there with fake IDs or no IDs. Run a business with integrity."
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Yahoo
‘Notorious' firearm store linked to illegal weapons closes
A south suburban firearms store once described as 'Chicago's most notorious gun shop' has closed its doors. At Chuck's Gun Shop and Pistol Range in Riverdale, which for years was known as a leading local source of guns recovered at Chicago crime scenes, a sign taped to the window reads 'going fishing forever.' A metal folding gate blocks the storefront that drew activists for 'die-ins' as recently as 2022. A bright orange sign advertising the store still hangs on the building's roof, as well as a yellow billboard with the store's phone number. The number leads to a 'busy' signal when called. The store's website and social media pages are still functional, and its Yelp page still lists hours. People who worked down the block said the store has been shut down since the beginning of the year. The store's owners, John and Patrice Riggio, did not return multiple phone and email requests for comment. The shop has been the subject of numerous media reports from local and national outlets highlighting the high volume of guns recovered at crime scenes that came from the store, and has drawn protests since at least 2007, when the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. and the Rev. Michael Pfleger were arrested for trespassing while demonstrating outside. A 2017 gun trace report by the city that tracked about 15,000 guns found at crime scenes back to the point of purchase found that about 1,000 of those recovered weapons had been purchased at Chuck's. Of those firearms, the report found that 21% ended up at a crime scene within a year of sale and 39% were recovered at a scene within three years.
Chicago Tribune
07-03-2025
- Chicago Tribune
‘Notorious' firearm store linked to illegal weapons closes
A south suburban firearms store once described as 'Chicago's most notorious gun shop' has closed its doors. At Chuck's Gun Shop and Pistol Range in Riverdale, which for years was known as a leading local source of guns recovered at Chicago crime scenes, a sign taped to the window reads 'going fishing forever.' A metal folding gate blocks the storefront that drew activists for ' die-ins ' as recently as 2022. A bright orange sign advertising the store still hangs on the building's roof, as well as a yellow billboard with the store's phone number. The number leads to a 'busy' signal when called. The store's website and social media pages are still functional, and its Yelp page still lists hours. People who worked down the block said the store has been shut down since the beginning of the year. The store's owners, John and Patrice Riggio, did not return multiple phone and email requests for comment. The shop has been the subject of numerous media reports from local and national outlets highlighting the high volume of guns recovered at crime scenes that came from the store, and has drawn protests since at least 2007, when the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. and the Rev. Michael Pfleger were arrested for trespassing while demonstrating outside. A 2017 gun trace report by the city that tracked about 15,000 guns found at crime scenes back to the point of purchase found that about 1,000 of those recovered weapons had been purchased at Chuck's. Of those firearms, the report found that 21% ended up at a crime scene within a year of sale and 39% were recovered at a scene within three years. Originally Published: March 6, 2025 at 5:52 PM CST
Axios
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Mayor Boesen, Billy Weathers share their favorite underrated dishes
We asked some of Des Moines' movers and shakers for their current favorite underrated dish around town. 🍕 Mayor Connie Boesen: " I have a special place in my heart for classic Italian from Chuck's Pizza. Chuck's has that old Des Moines charm that makes me feel at home every time I open the door." 😋 Morgan Chicchelly of Des Moines Girl: "The crispy rice wraps from Lucky Lotus. I can never get enough of those." 🥘 Billy Weathers, a local hip-hop artist and owner of The Contrary: "Spices of Nepal is probably my guilty pleasure. I love that place. When I go there and get their butter chicken, it's religious for me." 🍜 Paul Rottenberg of Orchestrate: "I have been eating a fair amount of Vietnamese lately — I've been eating vermicelli bowls all over the place. So that's been my item of the winter."
