Appeals court upholds Illinois assault weapon ban

A federal appeals court upheld an Illinois law prohibiting certain types of semiautomatic rifles on Thursday. The 2-1 decision from a panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the Illinois law, passed after a deadly mass shooting at a parade in a Chicago suburb, does not violate the Second Amendment. The appeals court overturned a lower court ruling that had found the ban to be unconstitutional.

The 7th Circuit said the state’s law followed the tradition of legislatures imposing restrictions on what the appeals court called particularly dangerous weapons. The court also said that assault weapons and large-capacity magazines were strongly tied to the severity of mass shootings. Chief Judge Michael Brennan dissented, arguing that the Second Amendment ensures Americans have the right to own firearms commonly used for self-defense.

What specifically does the law ban? The Protect Illinois Communities Act, enacted in 2023, prohibited the sale of more than 100 kinds of semiautomatic firearms with detachable magazines, protruding grips, and various other features. It also limited magazine capacities. The law was passed soon after a 2022 mass shooting in which a gunman on a rooftop in the town of Highland Park fired an AR-15-style rifle at a parade. He killed seven people and injured dozens.

Will the ruling be appealed? The National Shooting Sports Foundation said it plans to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. The organization echoed Brennan’s dissent, stating that semiautomatic, centerfire rifles are commonly owned firearms, with more than 32 million in circulation currently.

Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker praised the appeals court ruling, calling it a victory in the fight to end gun violence. He said the law will protect communities from weapons capable of inflicting mass casualties.

Dig deeper: Read my report on the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down gun restrictions in Hawaii last month.