Tag: gun control

Federal appeals court upholds controversial Illinois ban on semiautomatic guns

A federal appeals court upheld a controversial Illinois gun control law that largely bans assault weapons.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit decision issued on Thursday slapped down a district court decision that declared the ban unconstitutional.

“Among other things, the Act criminalizes the manufacture, sale, delivery, purchase, and possession of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines. A grandfather clause permits preexisting lawful owners of the regulated items to continue possessing them,” the Thursday decision noted.

“For reasons that follow, we focus on the Act’s application to AR-15s and thirty-round rifle magazines. The Act’s restrictions on these items, we hold, are consistent with the principles that underpin our Nation’s tradition of firearm regulation. Whether to adopt them is thus a decision reposed in our elected representatives, and we reverse,” the decision declared.

Chief Judge Michael Brennan dissented from the panel’s decision.

“Our Nation’s enduring traditions forbid governments from prohibiting firearms commonly owned for self-defense. Because the people have overwhelmingly chosen the AR-15 rifle and its magazine as their weapon of choice, they are protected by the Second Amendment,” Brennan wrote.

“Illinois’s ban goes too far and should be enjoined as unconstitutional. I respectfully dissent,” he noted.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat who signed the controversial law in early 2023, hailed the court’s decision.

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Huge Win for Second Amendment — Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down New Jersey’s Unconstitutional Semi-Automatic Rifle Ban and Magazine Limit

The anti-gun agenda suffered a major legal defeat on Friday after the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that New Jersey’s ban on semi-automatic rifles and its prohibition on magazines holding more than 10 rounds violate the Second Amendment.

In a sweeping 10-5 en banc decision, the Third Circuit held that New Jersey’s so-called “assault firearm” ban cannot survive the constitutional test established by the U.S. Supreme Court in its landmark 2022 New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen decision. The court also struck down the state’s 10-round magazine limit.

The 192-page opinion concluded that New Jersey’s prohibition on semi-automatic rifles, including the popular AR-15 platform, and its restrictions on so-called “large-capacity magazines” infringe on the constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

Writing for the majority, the court declared:

“Applying the framework announced in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022), we agree with the District Court that New Jersey’s ban on Colt AR-15s violates the Second Amendment. However, because the record supports the same result for all semi-automatic rifles—not only Colt AR-15s—we will MODIFY the District Court’s order so that it deems the Assault Firearm Provisions unconstitutional with respect to the full class of semi-automatic rifles.

We will AFFIRM that part of the order as modified. The LCM Provisions also violate the Second Amendment, so we will REVERSE the District Court’s order with respect to those. Because the LCM Provisions violate the Second Amendment, we need not address the Takings Clause challenge.”

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CBC calls for more gun control after suspected gang shooting in Toronto

Two people were killed and five others were injured at Toronto’s Salsa on St. Clair Festival over the weekend. Hours later, shots were fired near Polson Pier, a ride share was carjacked with passengers inside, and the suspect struck pedestrians and vehicles while fleeing.

David Menzies and Sheila Gunn Reid reacted to the wild weekend in Toronto on Monday’s Rebel Roundup livestream.

“I started the stopwatch to see how quick it would be before the CBC and the Toronto Star trotted out the anti-gun advocates,” David said.

Sure enough, the CBC ran a headline that made no mention of bail reform or gang violence. “Advocates speak out against gun violence following troubling weekend of shootings,” it read.

Sheila was blunt about who was actually involved.

“These are illegal firearms,” she said. “Any gun control measure you force on the rest of us doesn’t touch these people at all. And in fact, it draws police resources away from the real bad guys.”

The Polson Pier suspect, Omar Abdul-Singate, 25, of Brampton, was charged with four counts of forcible confinement, discharging a firearm recklessly, unauthorized possession of a firearm, possessing a firearm while prohibited — meaning he was already under a firearms prohibition — robbery, dangerous operation causing bodily harm, and dangerous operation.

A second suspect remains at large.

Both hosts also took aim at how Toronto police characterized the St. Clair shooting on social media, where it was described as an “active shooter” situation. 

Former Toronto police officer Jay Bannister, now of Mad Lab Press, told David the term was misleading. “When I hear active shooter, I’m thinking someone is still out there with a gun, walking down the street shooting innocent people,” David said, relaying Bannister’s assessment.

“What we had was gangbangers shooting other gangbangers, and then they made their escape. That’s not an active shooter.”

Sheila agreed. “This is just the gang war using this street festival as a battleground,” she said.

David closed with a note on bail, saying he could not confirm whether Abdul-Singate had been released, but was confident the question was worth asking.

“That is way more problematic,” Sheila said, “than taking away firearms from legal, law-abiding Canadians.”

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Ex-Canada MP arrested after police seize 439 guns and antique cannon from his home

Ex-Canadian MP Inky Mark has been arrested after police found a trove of guns, ammunition and an antique cannon along with thousands of dollars in cash in his home.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) seized 439 firearms from his house near Dauphin, Manitoba, last week during a firearms trafficking probe. At least three of the guns were illegally trafficked, RCMP said.

Mark, 78, has been charged with firearms trafficking and several other gun-related offences, including possessing unauthorised devices and unsafe storage, which officials say threaten public safety.

Manitoba follows Canada’s strict federal gun control laws, but its provincial government actively opposes extra restrictions.

A cultural appreciation for recreational shooting runs deep in the region.

Mark, a former Dauphin mayor, was arrested during a police search on 7 July.

He appeared on a dozen charges in court last week and was released from custody with conditions.

“The illegal trafficking of prohibited weapons is a serious offence that threatens public safety,” RCMP Assistant Commissioner and Manitoba Commanding Officer Scott McMurchy said on Monday.

“We thank the many RCMP officers who are working on this case for their tireless efforts in targeting individuals who are trafficking these dangerous and illegal weapons and bringing them to justice.”

The investigation began in March when police were notified of firearms charges in the US against another Dauphin-area man.

That investigation led RCMP to find and seize firearms allegedly purchased by Mark, which police said were “never lawfully transferred”.

At least three firearms are believed to have been illegally trafficked and one firearm had its serial number tampered with, officials said. They also found more than C$300,000 (£158,000) in cash at the home.

While the motive is unclear, Manitoba RCMP Cpl Barry Kirby said at a news conference on Monday: “We know he’s a firearm collector, but that’s really all that we know.”

Mark was elected mayor of Dauphin in 1994 and lost a re-election bid in 2010.

In parliament, he represented a constituency now known as Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa from 1997 until 2010, when he resigned from the House of Commons.

He has been a member of the Reform Party of Canada, the Canadian Alliance and a Conservative, and unsuccessfully ran for the seat again in 2015 as an independent.

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Mark Carney can’t keep gifted NATO handgun because of Liberal handgun freeze

Prime Minister Mark Carney was unable to keep a personalized handgun presented to him at the NATO summit because of the Liberal government’s handgun transfer freeze, forcing the gift to be surrendered to the RCMP.

Discussing the incident, Sheila Gunn Reid and Tamara Ugolini said the engraved pistol highlighted what they described as an ironic consequence of Canada’s firearms laws.

“How embarrassing that they can’t even allow Carney to take this gift home,” Gunn Reid said. “That’s the state of affairs for firearms ownership in this country.”

The handgun was engraved specifically for Carney but could not legally be transferred into his possession under the federal handgun freeze.

“He can’t even make it non-fireable and bring it home as a souvenir,” Gunn Reid said. “It’s because it’s a firearm being transferred to him… it has to be immediately turned over to the RCMP for destruction.”

There have been reports that officials were considering placing the firearm in a museum as a workaround to accept it and bring it into the country.

Contrast this with the experience of ordinary Canadians, where the gun laws force historic family firearms to be surrendered and destroyed rather than put in a museum.

How can Mark Carney’s gift go to a museum when ordinary Canadians’ family history cannot be preserved in that way?

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California bans Glock-style handguns from commercial sale

Assembly Bill 1127 fundamentally shifts firearm regulations by prohibiting licensed dealers from selling some of the most popular semiautomatic handguns on the market. 

By focusing on how certain handguns are built, lawmakers want to stop people from easily turning standard pistols into fully automatic weapons.

What we know:

The legislation specifically introduces a new legal classification: “machinegun-convertible pistols.” 

Lawmakers drafted this category to address handguns, most notably Glock-style pistols, that feature trigger mechanisms capable of being converted into fully automatic firearms with relatively simple, aftermarket modifications.

For consumers, the immediate impact is restricted to retail environments.

Licensed firearm dealers must cease all sales of new inventory that falls under this classification. 

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Gun Control to Gun Patrol: U.S. Army, Over 120 Police Turn MSG into Fortress for Taylor Swift Star-Studded Wedding

Pop superstar and gun control proponent Taylor Swift will enjoy the protection of over 120 police officers as she marries Travis Kelce in Madison Square Garden today, in a blowout wedding featuring some 1,000 friends and family, many of them Hollywood celebrities.

Indeed, Swift voiced her support for gun control after the February 14, 2018, Parkland shooting and donated to March for Our Lives.

Swift posted to her 273 million Instagram followers “No one should have to go to school in fear of gun violence. Or to a nightclub. Or to a concert. Or to a movie theater. Or to their place of worship.”

The post continued, “I’ve made a donation to show my support for the students, for the March For Our Lives campaign, for everyone affected by these tragedies, and to support gun reform. I’m so moved by the Parkland High School students, faculty, by all families and friends of victims who have spoken out, trying to prevent this from happening again.”

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DOJ Opens New Front in Second Amendment Fight Against California

It’s a pretty grand time to be a Second Amendment advocate. The right to keep and bear arms has been boosted by several recent court decisions, key among them being New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, which changed the landscape of legal matters concerning the Second Amendment for good.

As a result of Bruen, several anti-gun laws and proposed laws have been, one might say, shot down. Now, in the latest, Harmeet Dhillon, United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, has announced a new lawsuit by the Justice Department (DOJ) challenging California’s Glock ban and handgun roster law.

The official press release, found here, states in part:

“The Civil Rights Division will defend law-abiding citizens from states that seek to disarm them illegally,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit is yet another example of this Justice Department enforcing the Second Amendment by protecting citizens against unconstitutional state regulation of firearms.”

California’s new law would ban the retail purchase of common handguns manufactured by Glock and guns with similar firing mechanisms. The state’s existing “Handgun Roster” further limits the types of handguns citizens can lawfully purchase in California. The United States Supreme Court recently reaffirmed that the Second and Fourteenth Amendments protect the right to carry handguns outside the home for self-defense in Wolford v. Lopez. The Court reiterated that states cannot prevent citizens from using commonly used firearms for self-defense.

Yes, the right to keep and bear arms properly falls to the Civil Rights Division. People on the left, most of whom lack even a nodding acquaintance with the Bill of Rights, don’t get that, but the right to keep and bear arms, acknowledged (not granted) by the Second Amendment, is a fundamental civil right.

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Supreme Court Grants Cert In Grant v. Higgins: A Major Challenge To Connecticut’s Assault Weapon Ban

In a significant development for gun rights advocates, the U.S. Supreme Court on June 30, 2026, granted certiorari in Grant v. Higgins, a challenge to Connecticut’s post-Sandy Hook assault weapon ban. The Court consolidated the case with the parallel Illinois case Viramontes v. Cook County.

The justices will now directly address whether the Second and Fourteenth Amendments protect the right of law-abiding Americans to possess AR-15 platform rifles and other commonly owned semiautomatic firearms.

This is the breakthrough Second Amendment advocates have long awaited. Connecticut’s “assault weapons” ban — and similar laws nationwide — represent a direct challenge to the core right to keep and bear arms “in common use” for lawful purposes.

Grant v. Higgins (originally filed as Grant v. Rovella/Lamont) is brought by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), the Connecticut Citizens Defense League (CCDL), and individual plaintiffs including Eddie Grant Jr. It challenges Connecticut’s ban on semiautomatic rifles, which prohibits firearms by specific name and by a list of arbitrary “features” such as pistol grips, folding stocks, and flash suppressors.

The lower courts, including the Second Circuit, upheld the ban. Petitioners argue this ruling defies Supreme Court precedent by treating the most popular rifle in America — the AR-15 platform — as somehow outside constitutional protection. The question presented is clear: Whether the Second and Fourteenth Amendments guarantee the right to possess semiautomatic rifles that are in common use for lawful purposes, including the AR-15.

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In the Nick of Time: NRA Secures Injunction Against Virginia ‘Assault Weapons’ and Magazine Ban

On Monday, the NRA secured a preliminary injunction against enforcement of Virginia’s “assault weapons” and 15-plus rounds magazine ban.

The case, Santolla v. Katz, was heard by Judge Jeffrey Campbell, a former Republican member of Virginia’s House of Delegates.

The NRA announced the filing of the lawsuit on May 14, 2026, noting that plaintiffs included the Virginia Shooting Sports Association (VSSA), Middletown Firearms, Middletown Training, Virginia Pride Ltd., and VSSA members Joseph Santolla, and Reagan Adams.

Virginia Scope reporter Brandon Jarvis published Campbell’s ruling, wherein he wrote, “…the Motion for Preliminary Injunction enjoining the Defendants from enforcing the subject Firearms Ban and Magazine Bans as contemplated by the recently enacted Senate Bill 749 and House Bill 217 is GRANTED.”

Judge Campbell noted, “This injunction shall remain in effect until further Order of this Court or no later than July 1, 2027, consistent with the Governor’s recently passed budget amendment, and this matter is continued on the docket of this Court for any additional proceedings as the parties may so advise.”

The “assault weapons” and 15-plus rounds magazine ban was set to take effect July 1, 2026.

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