Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to State Assault Weapons Bans

The Supreme Court agreed on June 30, 2026, to hear landmark challenges to semiautomatic rifle bans in Connecticut and Cook County, Illinois. This decision sets up a major Second Amendment battle over popular firearms like the AR-15. Gun rights advocates argue these rifles are in common use and constitutionally protected, while states defend the bans as vital public safety measures enacted in response to devastating mass shootings. Arguments will be heard in the term starting October 2026.

Supreme Court case acceptance

• ▪The Supreme Court of the United States declined to review a challenge to the federal government's ban on handgun sales to 18- to 20-year-olds and a similar Florida state law
• ▪The Supreme Court of the United States will hear arguments and decide the semiautomatic rifle ban cases in its next term, which begins in October 2026
• ▪The Supreme Court of the United States agreed on June 30, 2026, to hear challenges to semiautomatic rifle bans in Connecticut and Cook County, Illinois

Connecticut assault weapons ban

• ▪Connecticut revised and tightened its assault weapons ban as a direct response to the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which killed 20 children and six adults
• ▪The Connecticut Citizens Defense League, the National Association for Gun Rights, and several individual residents challenged the constitutionality of Connecticut's semiautomatic rifle ban

Cook County rifle ordinance

• ▪Cook County, Illinois, enacted its ordinance banning assault weapons, including the AR-15 and AK-47, in 1993
• ▪Violators of the Cook County assault weapons ban face penalties of up to six months in prison and a minimum $5,000 fine
• ▪Cook County residents Cutberto Viramontes and Christopher Khaya, alongside the Firearms Policy Coalition and the Second Amendment Foundation, sued in August 2021 to challenge the Cook County ban

Second Amendment jurisprudence evolution

• ▪The Supreme Court of the United States in June 2026 struck down a Hawaii gun carry restriction and limited a federal law barring firearm possession by certain drug users
• ▪The Supreme Court of the United States issued a landmark ruling in 2022 establishing that the Second Amendment protects the right to carry firearms outside the home for self-defense
• ▪Four conservative Supreme Court justices previously indicated that AR-15 bans are unlawful under the Second Amendment, with Justice Brett Kavanaugh writing that the court should address the issue soon

Lower court legal reasoning

• ▪The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit upheld the rejection of the challenge to Cook County's restriction following the passage of a statewide Illinois assault weapons ban
• ▪The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit upheld Connecticut's ban, ruling that AR-style rifles are dangerous, unusual, and particularly suited for criminal violence