A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld an Illinois ban on semi-automatic rifles, keeping in place a law passed largely in response to a deadly Independence Day parade shooting in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park.
Background of the Law
The Protect Illinois Communities Act was signed into law in 2023 by Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and bans AR-15 rifles and similar guns, large-capacity magazines, and an assortment of attachments. The law prompted immediate pushback from county sheriffs who said they refused to enforce what they considered an unconstitutional law, while gun owners and advocates sued.
The 2-1 appellate decision found that the Illinois law does not violate the Second Amendment, and its restrictions are “consistent with the principles that underpin our Nation’s tradition of firearm regulation.” The majority opinion also pushes back on claims made by the plaintiffs that semi-automatic rifles are not at fault for mass shootings.
Reaction to the Decision
Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said in a post that the decision is “a victory in the fight to end gun violence that helps keep our communities safe.” The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms industry trade association seeking to stop the ban, said that it is disappointed with the decision and plans to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
