Kenzo Dix rests at the top of a beautiful hill overlooking the San Francisco Bay. As the sun falls, the scene is tranquil.

It’s a late summer evening, and his father has come to visit, bearing flowers and words that are spoken only in his heart. It’s been a few months since Griffin Dix was last here, and he takes time to wipe the blades of grass and dirt from his son’s flat grave marker.

Nearly 20 years ago, Kenzo, a freshman at Berkeley High School in northern California, was buried here at Sunset Memorial Garden, the victim of a gun accident. His father lives in Kensington, within walking distance of the graveyard, but his visits have become less frequent over the years.

“We loved Kenzo very, very much,” Dix said.

http://www.timesherald.com/general-news/20140102/after-sons-fatal-accident-father-fights-to-make-weapons-safer

A new Illinois law requires private sellers of guns to verify that the buyers' gun permits are valid, but a State Police website for the verification process was not yet working as of New Year's Eve.

The law, in effect on New Year's Day, requires that all private firearm transactions in Illinois must be approved by State Police. Any non-federally licensed firearm dealer who sells or transfers a gun is required to contact ISP and provide the buyer's Firearm Owner's Identification Card number. The State Police will then determine the validity of the FOID card and issue a sale-approval number, which is valid for 30 days.

The seller is allowed to transfer the gun to the buyer after obtaining the approval number and waiting 24 hours for a rifle or shotgun or 72 hours for a handgun.

A sale-approval number can be requested around-the-clock through a page on the ISP website, at http://www.isp.state.il.us/foid/foidp2p.cfm, or during normal business hours by calling 217-524-3847.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/01/new-illinois-gun-laws-in-2014_n_4524967.html