Seventy-one year old George Parsons has posted online that he didn’t do anything he thought was wrong and said all his firearms classes covered the required information. But he pleaded guilty two weeks ago to providing false firearms training and paid $1,000 in fines and court costs in Bureau County. The Illinois State Police agency says more than 800 students may have had the inadequate training. Some have already taken concealed carry training again.
Parsons was an instructor at LZ Resale and Indoor Shooting Range in Spring Valley. It tried to make good with the affected students by offering them free training after authorities charged Parsons last year. Some customers accepted it. Others said they’d never go back. The business closed at the end of December.