On Thursday, a federal appeals court reaffirmed the legality of a statewide ban on semiautomatic weapons in Illinois. This law was enacted as a direct response to a tragic shooting during an Independence Day parade.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit’s decision overrules a previous lower court ruling that had deemed the ban unconstitutional. In a 2-1 decision, the appellate court determined that the Illinois statute aligns with the Second Amendment and conforms to longstanding traditions of firearm regulation in the country.
“Decisions about adopting such measures rest with our chosen representatives,” the appeals court declared while reversing the lower court’s decision.
The majority opinion also counters arguments from the plaintiffs who claimed semiautomatic weapons were not responsible for mass shootings.
“The indisputable evidence shows a strong link between the use of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines with the increased gravity of this societal issue,” the court opinion stated.
Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said in a post on X 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.
The gun trade group said it agrees with Chief Judge Michael Brennan’s dissent in which he wrote that the country prohibits governments from banning “firearms commonly owned for self-defense.”
“Because the people have overwhelmingly chosen the AR-15 rifle and its magazine as their weapon of choice, they are protected by the Second Amendment,” the judge’s dissent states.
The Protect Illinois Communities Act was signed into law in 2023 by Pritzker and bans AR-15 rifles and similar guns, large-capacity magazines and an assortment of attachments.
It came six months after a 2022 shooting in which a gunman on a rooftop in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park opened fire on a parade, killing seven people and injuring more than three dozen.
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.
In 2024, a federal judge overturned the ban, leaning on recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings that strictly interpret the Second Amendment right to keep and bear firearms.
The injunction was set to take effect 30 days after the judge’s decision. But that same day, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed a notice of appeal, which ultimately led to a stay in the injunction.
Raoul said Thursday’s decision enhances public safety. “We have seen the damage that assault weapons and large-capacity magazines can inflict, and these weapons of war have no place in our communities,” he said in a statement.
Last month, the Supreme Court announced it will consider whether bans on semiautomatic rifles, often called assault weapons, violate the Second Amendment. In the fall, the court, which has expanded gun rights, is expected to hear appeals challenging a ban in the Chicago area, which predates the statewide law.