Protesters 'Baffled' By Rifle Raffle

KILDEER, IL — As Lake County Republicans held a fundraising dinner at Concorde Banquets Friday evening, dozens of protesters gathered outside. They accused organizers of the "2nd Amendment Dinner and Gun Raffle" event of disrespecting the memory of those killed in the massacre Las Vegas less than two weeks prior.

"The timing is disgusting. This is less than two weeks after those 58 people died and hundreds are still in the hospital." said Pat Heise of Grayslake, a member of the volunteer gun control group Peaceful Communities who organized the protest. She created and brought 58 signs with the names those killed in the Last Vegas mass shooting. "This is ridiculous, the timing is disgusting and nauseating," she said.

Other protesters displayed signs with messages like, "Only Riff-Raff Raffle Rifles," "If Guns Are Prizes, We All Lose," and "Baffled By This Raffle."

"Every time there is a tragic shooting the NRA says people need more guns, so the Lake County Republicans are handing out guns after the worst mass shooting in history," said Lee Goodman of Northbrook, another Peaceful Communities member. "But the American people know we don't need more guns, we need fewer guns and more effective gun laws."

"The United States stands alone in allowing the kind of unrestricted gun ownership that results in these killings and in killings on the streets of Chicago and other cities every day," Goodman said. "We're tired of being distinguished by our foolishness."

Organizers of the event said it was too late to cancel it and lose deposits. Some of the proceeds set aside for charities were to be directed to help the surviving family members of Las Vegas law enforcement personnel who have died in the line of duty.

» More: The "2nd Amendment Dinner and Gun Raffle" will give some of its proceeds to help Las Vegas law enforcement.

One Republican guest of the event, Ted Livengood of Round Lake Beach, told the Lake County News-Sun demonstrators should not have a problem with an event that is not breaking any laws. He said Republicans support the Constitution, but some people just don't understand it.

"Demonizing us is wrong," Livengood told the News-Sun. "Everyone is looking for a bogeyman every time something happens but we're just exercising our rights."

_{Top photo: Demonstrators protest Lake County Republican's 2nd Amendment Dinner and Gun Raffle in Kildeer on Friday | Courtesy Lee Goodman}