A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld an Illinois ban on semiautomatic weapons, reversing a lower court's finding that the law was unconstitutional. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit determined that the ban does not violate the Second Amendment and that its restrictions are consistent with the nation's history of firearm regulation.
The appellate court's majority opinion rejected arguments from plaintiffs that semiautomatic weapons are not a significant factor in mass shootings. The court cited "undisputed record evidence" indicating a strong correlation between the presence of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines and the severity of gun violence.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who signed the Protect Illinois Communities Act into law in 2023, hailed the decision as a "victory in the fight to end gun violence" that will help enhance community safety. The law, enacted after a 2022 Highland Park parade shooting that killed seven and injured dozens, bans certain semiautomatic rifles like the AR-15, along with large-capacity magazines and other attachments.
The decision followed an injunction granted earlier in 2024 by a federal judge who had sided with plaintiffs challenging the ban. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul promptly filed a notice of appeal, which led to a stay of the injunction. Raoul stated that the ruling reinforces public safety, asserting that "weapons of war have no place in our communities."
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, an industry trade group that opposes the ban, expressed disappointment and indicated plans to seek review from the U.S. Supreme Court. The organization aligned with Chief Judge Michael Brennan's dissent, which argued that the Second Amendment protects firearms commonly owned for self-defense, and that AR-15-style rifles and their magazines, being widely chosen by the public, are therefore protected.
This ruling comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is set to consider the constitutionality of bans on semiautomatic rifles, often referred to as assault weapons, in a case expected to be heard in the fall. That case challenges a ban in the Chicago area that predates the statewide law.