The Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to Maryland's 2013 law banning semiautomatic rifles like the AR-15, allowing the ban to remain in effect, marking limited engagement with gun rights issues since 2008.
A federal judge in Illinois has granted a temporary injunction blocking the enforcement of a gun law which bans some semiautomatic rifles as well as high-capacity magazines. The ban, signed by Democratic Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker in January, includes penalties for individuals who carry or possess, manufactures, sells, delivers, imports, or purchases any assault weapon or .50 caliber rifle. The ruling from former President Trump appointed judge McGlynn came shortly after United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois judge Lindsay Jenkins, appointed by President Biden, declined to block the law's enforcement.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee is expected to sign a bill banning the sale, manufacture, and importation of semiautomatic rifles, also known as "assault weapons," with exceptions for law enforcement and the military. The ban will take effect immediately after Inslee signs it. The bill bans more than 60 specific firearms, most of them semiautomatic long guns such as AR-15s and AK-47s. The ban is part of a gun control package pushed by Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson this legislative session.
The Uvalde school shooter wrote "LOL" in the blood of his victims on a classroom whiteboard, according to Texas House Rep. Joe Moody. The revelation came during a hearing for a bill that would raise the age to purchase certain semiautomatic rifles from 18 to 21. Families of the victims pleaded with Texas legislators to pass the bill, which has faced opposition from Republicans, including Gov. Greg Abbott. The bill exempts police, members of the military, or anyone honorably discharged from the military. The hearing continued into the early hours of Wednesday morning.