The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), the Firearms Policy Coalition, and two private citizens have filed an appeal with the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the Cook County, Illinois ban on so-called “assault weapons.”
The case, Viramontes v. Cook County, was initially filed in 2021 and seeks to determine whether the Second Amendment allows for banning popular semi-automatic firearms.pen_spark
SAF founder Alan M. Gottlieb argues that the ban on these commonly used firearms is unconstitutional. SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut further emphasizes their lawful use for self-defense, hunting, and other activities, citing FBI data showing their limited involvement in homicides.
Read: Second Amendment Foundation Challenges Pennsylvania’s Age Restriction On Concealed Carry Licenses
“The question presented in this case is straightforward,” noted SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb, “whether the Second Amendment permits the government to ban the best-selling rifles in America and similar semiautomatic firearms erroneously labeled as ‘assault weapons.’ We maintain the answer to that clearly is no.”
“Modern semiautomatic rifles are commonly used for all kinds of lawful purposes,” said SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut. “While millions of Americans own tens of millions of them, such rifles are used in a tiny fraction of all homicides, according to FBI data. They are used for self-defense, hunting, predator control, competition and recreation, and there can be no doubt they are protected by the Second Amendment.”
The case was temporarily on hold while the Supreme Court issued the 2022 Bruen decision and Illinois enacted a statewide ban on similar firearms. Despite plaintiffs’ request to delay the case pending resolution of the statewide ban’s constitutionality, the court declined.
With the case now moving forward, the Second Amendment Foundation and its co-plaintiffs are pushing for a resolution to this ongoing legal battle over the Second Amendment rights of Cook County residents.
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