There’s a staggering backlog of concealed carry applications in the state of Illinois at the moment, with applicants being forced to wait for months on end before getting approval from the Illinois State Police. In fact, the problem has gotten so bad that the Second Amendment Foundation and the Illinois State Rifle Association recently filed a federal lawsuit over the issue, seeking to compel the state police to begin processing applications with the 120 days allowed under state law (90 days if you submit fingerprints with your application).

The delays would be unconscionable in the best of circumstances, but they’re particularly egregious given the lawlessness on the streets of Chicago at the moment. There are thousands of people in the state, many of them in the Chicagoland area who desperately want to be able to carry for their own protection, but are being denied the chance to so because of the bureaucratic delays.

Thankfully, that wasn’t the case on the south side of Chicago Tuesday night, when a 69-year old man was able to protect himself when a trio of armed robbers targeted him thanks to the fact that he was legally carrying his concealed firearm. As the Chicago Tribune reports:

Instead of handing over his wallet or other items, the man drew his handgun and shot toward the group of three men trying to rob him about 10:35 p.m. in the 10600 block of South Leavitt Street, according to a statement from police. One of the attackers was shot in the knee, police said.

When the 69-year-old shot at the three men, they ran back to a red Ford Fusion and drove off, officials said.

The three men crashed their car a short time later and police were able to take all three suspects into custody. The 69-year old concealed carry holder, meanwhile, isn’t expected to face any charges.

At the moment, we don’t know the age of the would-be robbers, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that one or more of them are juveniles. Chicago’s crime wave is being fueled in large part by a growing number of juvenile offenders who are committing robberies and carjackings. In one recent case, three teens targeted a rideshare driver (which is also a growing problem in Chicago); stealing the driver’s vehicle at gunpoint and leading police on a wild chase across state lines.

ISP and the Chicago Police Department’s helicopter followed them into Indiana. ISP said during the chase an ISP trooper struck the vehicle but did not report any injuries.

During the pursuit an ISP squad car also struck a wall and became engulfed in flames. The trooper was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. Another squad car was involved in a crash while responding. The front end of a Nissan struck the driver’s side of the squad car, but no injuries were reported.

The car crashed on Route 30 in Merrillville, and police found a 15-year-old girl driving and a 15-year-old boy and 13-year-old boy as passengers.

All three were initially hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. They were all later released to a guardian with future charges pending for the driver, according to ISP.

That last sentence should ring alarm bells for anyone concerned about public safety. You’ve got three armed teenagers who carjacked someone and led police on a chase into Indiana, but none of them were actually taken into custody? Instead they were released without having to post any bond and only the prospect of “future charges.”

This is how you get more violent crime in Chicago, and it’s another example of why the city needs more armed citizens like the 69-year old man who was able to protect himself on Tuesday night. City officials are failing in their duty to protect residents, so it should come as no surprise that many Chicagoans are choosing to protect themselves instead.

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