Evanston police seize two handguns

Police seized two handguns in north suburban Evanston Tuesday as part of a newly implemented violence reduction initiative.

Officers were called about 4 p.m. Tuesday with a tip that a gun was hidden in the 2100 block of Ridge Avenue, according to a statement from Evanston police. Detectives found a Ruger 9mm handgun.

Later that night, detectives received a tip about 10 p.m. that another handgun was hidden in the 1700 block of Wesley Avenue, police said. When detectives arrived, they found a Ruger .380-caliber handgun that had been reported stolen in Tennessee.

Both guns will be sent to the Northeastern Illinois Crime Laboratory for further examination, police said.

The guns were recovered as a part of a violence reduction strategy recently started by the Evanston Police Department as a response to community concerns about handgun-related violence, police said. Officers from the Neighborhood Enforcement Team and Tactical Unit are assigned to work on weapon recovery every day as part of the initiative.

Anyone with information regarding crime in Evanston is asked to contact police at (847) 866-5000 or text an anonymous tip to 274637 with “EPDTIP” in the message.

A Ruger 9mm handgun seized by Evanston Police Tuesday. | Evanston police