Federal appeals court upholds Illinois ban on semiautomatic weapons, overturning lower-court ruling

A federal appeals court upheld Illinois's ban on semiautomatic weapons, overturning a lower court's ruling that deemed the law unconstitutional. The 2-1 decision affirmed the law's compliance with the Second Amendment, citing its alignment with firearm regulation traditions and evidence linking assault weapons to mass shooting severity. The law, enacted in 2023, prohibits AR-15 rifles, large-capacity magazines, and related attachments following a 2022 Highland Park parade shooting.