Supreme Court takes up challenges to AR-15 bans

Key Points:

• The Supreme Court has agreed to hear cases challenging state and local bans on AR-15-style rifles, specifically targeting laws in Cook County, Illinois, and Connecticut, with arguments set for the upcoming term starting in October.
• These cases mark the first time the Court will directly address the constitutionality of restrictions on certain semi-automatic rifles, following its 2022 decision affirming the right to carry guns in public for self-defense.
• Connecticut's ban, strengthened after the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, prohibits possession of assault weapons like AR-15s, a law upheld by lower courts citing historical firearms regulation and the designation of AR-15s as "dangerous and unusual."
• Cook County's nearly 20-year-old ordinance bans assault weapons including AR-15s and rifles with high-capacity magazines, with violations carrying fines and prison time; this ban was also upheld by lower courts amid Illinois' statewide assault-weapons ban.
• Gun rights groups and residents argue these bans violate the Second Amendment, emphasizing the AR-15's popularity among millions of Americans, while courts have so far maintained the bans are consistent with historical regulation and public safety concerns.