BY MIRABEL ODETA
The U.S. Supreme Court said Tuesday it will hear a major legal challenge to state and local restrictions on assault-style rifles, setting the stage for a high-profile ruling that could significantly shape the future of gun regulations in the United States.
The case centers on bans enacted in Cook County, Illinois, and Connecticut that prohibit certain semiautomatic rifles, including widely known models such as the AR-15. Lower courts previously upheld both restrictions, ruling that they do not violate the Second Amendment right to “keep and bear arms.” With its decision to take up the appeals, the Supreme Court will now review whether those rulings were correct under the Constitution.
The court is expected to hear arguments in its next term beginning in October. The move comes as the justices continue to confront a series of Second Amendment disputes in a country deeply divided over gun laws and recurring mass shootings.
On the same day, the court also declined to hear multiple challenges against federal and state restrictions that prevent individuals aged 18 to 20 from purchasing handguns, leaving those lower court rulings in place.
Gun rights advocates argue that semiautomatic rifles such as those covered by the bans are commonly owned and therefore protected under constitutional precedent. They contend that previous Supreme Court decisions have affirmed broad protections for firearms considered to be in “common use,” and that lower courts have misapplied those standards.
The Second Amendment Foundation, one of the groups involved in the challenge, welcomed the court’s decision to hear the case. Its executive director, Adam Kraut, said the ruling could provide long-awaited clarity on what types of weapons fall under constitutional protection, arguing that modern semiautomatic rifles remain widely owned across the United States.
The Supreme Court has issued several landmark Second Amendment rulings over the past two decades, including decisions in 2008 and 2010 that recognized an individual right to bear arms, and a 2022 ruling that reshaped how courts evaluate gun regulations. That 2022 decision required firearm restrictions to align with historical traditions of regulation, making it more difficult for governments to defend certain modern gun control measures.
Gun control advocates, however, strongly defend the bans. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong described the state’s law as lawful, life-saving, and broadly supported. He argued that the legal challenges are part of a broader effort by gun rights organizations to push the Supreme Court toward further expanding Second Amendment protections.
Cook County officials, which includes Chicago, have maintained a long-standing ban on assault-style weapons dating back to 1993. The current ordinance prohibits several semiautomatic rifles, including AR-15 and AK-47-style firearms. County lawyers argue that these weapons are particularly dangerous due to their high firepower and frequent use in mass shootings, describing them as far more destructive than handguns and comparable in capability to military-designed weapons.
The county also cited examples of high-profile violent incidents in which such weapons were used, including references to recent assassination attempts and mass casualty events, arguing that these firearms pose a significant public safety threat.
The legal challenge was filed in 2021 by gun rights organizations, including the Firearms Policy Coalition and the Second Amendment Foundation, along with individual plaintiffs who argue that AR-15-style rifles are commonly owned, widely used for lawful purposes, and unfairly labeled as “assault weapons” for political reasons. They claim the term is misleading and does not accurately distinguish between semiautomatic and fully automatic firearms.
The Chicago-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit upheld Cook County’s ban in 2025, while the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals similarly upheld Connecticut’s law last year, ruling that the restrictions are consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of regulating especially dangerous weapons.
Connecticut’s law, passed in 2013 following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, bans assault-style rifles and large-capacity magazines and was later strengthened in 2023. The law was challenged by gun rights groups and individual residents seeking access to the prohibited firearms.
In its ruling, the 2nd Circuit concluded that the state’s restrictions are targeted at unusually dangerous weapons while still preserving alternative options for self-defense and lawful use.
The Supreme Court’s decision to hear the case adds to its recent string of Second Amendment rulings, including recent decisions striking down certain handgun restrictions on private property and narrowing federal rules limiting firearm possession for some drug users. The upcoming case is expected to further define how far states and local governments can go in regulating high-powered firearms under the Constitution.
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