The US Supreme Court announced on June 30, 2026, that it will hear appeals challenging bans on AR-15 rifles and similar semi-automatic firearms in Connecticut and the Chicago area. These cases question whether such bans violate the Second Amendment.
Similar assault weapons bans exist in about a dozen states, including major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Washington DC. While a national assault weapons ban expired in 2004, Democrats have pushed for its renewal following a series of mass shootings. States such as Virginia and Rhode Island have also recently enacted their own restrictions.
The Connecticut law under review was enacted after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, where a mass shooter used an AR-15 to kill 26 children and educators. The state argues these firearms are preferred by mass shooters and can be banned due to their similarity to military-grade weapons.
Janet Carter, managing director of second amendment litigation at the gun-control group Everytown Law, stated, “These laws are critical public safety measures, and they are consistent with the second amendment.”
Conversely, Adam Kraut, executive director of the Second Amendment Foundation, said, “The second amendment protects arms in common use for lawful purposes, and it’s hard to argue that a type of rifle that potentially outnumbers Ford F-150 trucks in America doesn’t meet that standard.”
This case is the latest significant gun-related dispute before the court since its conservative majority expanded Second Amendment rights in a landmark 2022 ruling, which has led to challenges against firearm laws nationwide.
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