Manny Alvarez, who was wounded in the fatal shooting of his mom, Karina Gonzalez, and sister, Daniella Alvarez, speaks at the signing of Karina's Bill Monday in Chicago. 

In July 2023, Karina Gonzalez and her teen daughter Daniella Alvarez were shot and killed. Her husband, Jose Alvarez, was later arrested for allegedly fatally shooting the mother and daughter, as well as injuring their son, Manny Alvarez.  

Gonzalez had been granted an order of protection against Jose, which led to his firearm owner’s identification (FOID) card being revoked. But his guns were never taken by law enforcement.  

Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-West Chicago) was already working on legislation to require law enforcement to seize guns when an order of protection had been granted when Gonzalez was killed. That measure was later named Karina’s Bill, and on Monday Gonzalez’s son Manny watched it become law. 

“This is in honor of my mother, Karina Gonzalez, my sister Daniela Alvarez, and my family who have had to go through some of the worst pain ever imaginable,” he said. “But I think what makes us different is that we turn that pain into action, and we hope that this isn't something that someone else has to go through.” 

Manny advocated for the legislation, which passed the Illinois Senate and House of Representatives during the lame-duck session.  

Read more: General Assembly approves bill requiring the removal of firearms following an order of protection 

The law mandates that after an order of protection is granted, the person must immediately hand over firearms. It creates a process for law enforcement to obtain a search warrant if firearms are not surrendered within 24 hours. Law enforcement must seize firearms within 96 hours of receiving that search warrant.  

It allows for third-party transfer, where a family member or other individual could petition a judge to take custody of a firearm. This was added after questions were raised about family heirlooms. The firearms would first be taken into custody and they would not be able to be returned to the subject of the order of protection.  

The bill received pushback from Republicans, including former Rep. Dan Caulkins, who said it was a violation of second and fourth amendment rights. He suggested abusers should be arrested and that a person seeking a court order to seize guns could be in danger if their abuser discovered it. Hirschauer said orders of protection are sealed until they are served.  

Others, including Gov. JB Pritzker, questioned the strain the law could put on law enforcement and if they had the resources to serve the warrants. After negotiations took place with law enforcement and other stakeholders, Pritzker said he was confident the law could be properly enforced.  

At the bill signing Monday, Pritzker also noted a U.S. Supreme Court decision, United States v. Rahimi, which upheld a law barring anyone subject to a domestic-violence order of protection from owning a firearm.  

“There are those who opposed this law because they mistakenly believe that the Second Amendment has no limits,” he said. “Well, they are wrong, and even the very conservative U.S. Supreme Court said so. I sometimes disagree with Supreme Court rulings, but one thing we do in this state is we follow the law, and we follow the Constitution.”  

Sen. Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) represents the district Gonzalez and her children lived in. She thanked the various advocate groups and law enforcement involved in negotiations, which took nearly a year and a half.  

“It was a simple tweak of the law, but it was very complex, because it had to do with logistics, it had to do with coordination, and it was much more in depth,” she said. “So, while it was a regular law that most people would have paid attention to, it is who is at stake, the impact that has the potential to change the lives and the trajectory of lives in the state of Illinois.” 

Hirschauer echoed a similar sentiment but also spoke to the impact of the measure. She said domestic violence survivors who almost lost their lives to gun violence have reached out to say this law will save lives.  

“Most importantly, this policy sends a clear message to those living through trauma and the terror of domestic violence,” she said. “Here in Illinois, we see you. You have the absolute right to leave your abuser, and we will do our best to keep you and your family safe and most importantly, here in Illinois, we value your life and the life of your families more than we value your abuser's gun.”  

Karina’s Law will take effect across Illinois in 90 days.