(CNSNews.com) - A pro-Second Amendment group calls it outrageous that a suburban Chicago homeowner faces criminal charges for defending his family - by shooting a burglar who broke into his home several times.

Blame it on "regressive, Draconian" Illinois gun laws, said the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA).

Press reports said Hale DeMar of Wilmette, Ill., is charged with violating a local ordinance banning handguns, and with violating state law by not having an Illinois Firearms Owners Identification Card (FOID) for the banned handgun.

DeMar reportedly shot and wounded a masked burglar in his kitchen one night last month -- the second time the man broke into his home.

Press reports quoted Wilmette Police Chief George Carpenter as saying that people who find themselves in DeMar's situation should, "for the safety of the home...immediately lock the door of the room he's in and dial 911."

"Prosecuting Hale DeMar is outrageous," said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. "And Chief Carpenter's patronizing attitude about facing an immediate and unavoidable threat is shameful, if not downright despicable.

"Mr. DeMar fired a handgun to defend his family against a thug who evidently had invaded his home two nights in a row. If Chief Carpenter is so concerned about public safety, why hadn't his department taken the suspect off the streets long before he was in the DeMar residence, where he was shot?

"Carpenter has the audacity to claim that Wilmette residents are much safer without a handgun in the home," Gottlieb added. "What he's really saying is that burglars and home invaders are a lot safer if they enter unarmed Wilmette homes, and he seems eager to maintain that safe working environment for criminals."

Denying law-abiding citizens the means to defend themselves and their families amounts to a "set of hunting regulations for criminals," Gottlieb said.

"Laws that prevent crime victims from defending themselves are simply irresponsible," Gottlieb said. "Laws that punish crime victims if they do defend themselves are insidious."

DeMar faces up to a year in jail plus a fine, although no expects his punishment to be that severe. His court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 6.

He is scheduled to appear in court Feb. 6 to face both charges against him. The burglar also faces criminal charges stemming from the break-in.

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms says it is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States.

See follow-up story about this incident

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