Dozens came out to the Bullet Stop Gun Shop with pistols in their holsters. The open carry event was hosted by ICarry.org, which is trying to sway lawmakers to give gun owners more rights. Since the gun shop is private property, organizers say they are not breaking the law because in Illinois, open carry is illegal, as is wearing a concealed weapon. In fact, Illinois is the only state in the nation to not have either of these laws.

"Self defense is a human right and is not limited to your bare hands. And self defense is a right, and if you take away that right or limit that right, you're actually encouraging crime and criminals to violently attack people because they know they can't defend themselves," says ICarry.org Executive Director Shaun Kranish.

ICarry.org held a similar event in Beloit in March. It was at a park, and participants were able to wear pistols openly since open carry is legal in Wisconsin.