DAVENPORT, Iowa — In 2017, Iowa signed the Stand Your Ground Law into effect.
"So stand your ground in Iowa basically means that you do not have a duty to retreat no matter what. So previous to '17, your duty was to retreat unless you were defending somebody else. If you were protecting a spouse, a child, a co-worker, girlfriend, boyfriend, whoever; 2017; They changed it to stand-your-ground means you can now stand and protect yourself," said Jeanelle Westroom, owner of Davenport Guns.
Illinois has no law that mimics Iowa's Stand Your Ground Law.
"There's no castle doctrine for Illinois. Nothing really, that says you can defend yourself. So it kind of comes down to the courts, and kind of comes down to the judge that you have, because these things do happen in Illinois. So, you know, it's left up to individual cases instead of something that spreads over all cases in Illinois," said Sam Perez, an employee at Colona's Hilltop Gun Shop.
But, even with the law in Iowa, different businesses have different rules when it comes to carrying a firearm on the premise.
"Private citizens are not supposed to have a firearm in the mall. But it's a misdemeanor, so if you're willing to get that little misdemeanor for protecting yourself, for being able to protect your family, it's your call," said Westroom.
While on the Illinois side, Perez said there may have been a different outcome.
"They called him a good Samaritan in the news so I would just go ahead and assume that he'll be fine. But if compared to Illinois, it can be left up to the courts, and he could be prosecuted for manslaughter if he killed him," Perez said.