Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel has outlined a sweeping new plan that aims to block illegal gun sales in the city, following a Memorial Day weekend marked by a spate of shootings that left at least six dead.



The plan represents Chicago's response to a federal ruling in January that found the city's blanket ban on gun sales to be unconstitutional. The proposal, formally introduced at a council meeting on Wednesday, would impose wide-ranging restrictions on gun sales, keeping gun stores from setting up shop in almost every corner of the city and requiring dealers to videotape sales.

Emanuel said on Wednesday that gun control is an “essential” part of the city's strategy to reduce gun violence.



“The city of Chicago does not have a problem of too few guns,” Emanuel told reporters at a press conference after the council meeting. “There are way too many guns.”

US district court judge Edmond Chang stayed his January ruling for six months to give the city time to come up with new rules before it was forced to allow the commercial sale of firearms. Chang's ruling, which takes effect in July, potentially opens the door on a new market for gun dealers in the nation's third most populous city.



Asked if he thought the plan – if approved by the council– would spur a legal challenge, Emanuel said: “There are things here that meet the standards set out by the court, but, most importantly, meet the standards set out by the law enforcement community.”



The mayor's office touted the plan as one of the "toughest, smartest, licensing laws in the country".

"For a long time we haven't had any gun sales in Chicago", said Janey Rountree, the mayor's deputy chief of staff for public safety. "We hope this law will prevent gun trafficking and illegal sales in Chicago stores."

However, many of the guns used to commit crimes in Chicago are purchased in the suburbs or nearby states with weaker gun laws such as Indiana, Wisconsin and Mississippi. While the plan would heavily regulate gun sales in the city, it's uncertain how much of an impact it would actually have on reducing gun violence.

The ordinance would prohibit gun stores from being located within 500ft of a school or park. The mayor's office confirmed reports that special-use zoning would leave only a fraction of the city where gun dealers could sell firearms. Dealers would also be required to videotape all sales in an effort to discourage people from buying guns for criminals.



Among the restrictions: store owners would only be able to sell a buyer one handgun per month, and buyers would be required to wait 72 hours before purchasing a handgun and 24 hours before purchasing a rifle or shotgun. It also require employees to submit to background checks and receive training hosted by the Chicago police department on spotting illegal gun sales.

The ordinance drew in part from a report released on Tuesday by the mayor's office and the Chicago police department, in collaboration with the University of Chicago Crime Lab, that found the number of illegal guns flooding the city is a key factor in driving the city's high homicide rate.

"This report shows the extent to which illegal guns are the leading factor in driving violence, the sources of those guns, and simple, reasonable steps we can take to curb the flow of illegal guns onto our streets," Emanuel said in a press release.



The study found nearly 60% of the guns used to commit a crime in Chicago between 2009 and 2013 were initially purchased outside of Illinois.

Last year, Chicago had the highest number of homicides in the nation. And gun crime continues to ravage the city.

Since 1 January, there have been 774 shootings in Chicago, according to the Chicago Tribune, which aims to tracks every incident.

Between Sunday night and early Tuesday morning, three men had died, and at least 14 were wounded in shootings across the city. And on Saturday, shootings killed three and injured eight. Chicago police confirmed the incidents.

The proposal represents Chicago's latest effort to fight for what were once the strictest gun laws in the country. Emanuel told reporters he worked with the legal department to draft the plan and believes it is legally sound.