Illinois Assault Weapons Ban Upheld by Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has declined to block a new law in Illinois that bans assault-style weapons such as the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, which has been used in multiple mass shootings. The Illinois law enacted in the wake of a July 4 shooting in the city of Highland Park last year that killed seven will remain in effect while legal challenges continue. The decision indicates the justices are willing to give lower courts time to consider the impact of the Supreme Court's ruling last summer that dramatically expanded gun rights.