Gun policy news covering firearm legislation, Second Amendment cases, mass shootings, background checks, and federal and state gun regulations.
The 3rd Circuit ruled 10-5 that New Jersey's ban on assault rifles and large-capacity magazines violates the Second Amendment, the first federal appeals court to overturn a state assault weapons ban. The majority opinion, written by Biden appointee Judge Arianna Freeman, rejected historical analogues and noted the Supreme Court will hear similar cases next term. The NRA called the decision a 'historic victory.'
The Toronto community is processing the shock and debating the future of the Salsa on St. Clair festival after a deadly shooting left two dead and five wounded. Police Chief Myron Demkiw urged the federal government to amend the Criminal Code to automatically charge first-degree murder for fatal shootings in crowded places.
A 2-year-old boy died from a self-inflicted accidental gunshot wound after finding a gun inside a couch in Highland, California. The child's mother, Jamaria Cobb, and her boyfriend, Armand Bright, were arrested for child abuse causing great bodily injury or death. A second child was taken by child services.
A Kentucky jury found Husky Armory LLC liable for the death of 18-year-old Henry Willis, who used a pistol built from the company's kit to die by suicide in 2023. The $104.2 million verdict is the largest-ever against a gun dealer. The trial focused on whether Husky Armory skirted federal regulations barring sale of gun-assembly kits to those under 21.
This commentary argues that the Seventh Circuit's decision in Barnett v. Raoul upholding Illinois' AR-15 ban is procedurally questionable and substantively flawed. The author contends the circuit court ignored the Supreme Court's grant of cert on the same issue and rejected trial court findings it had previously requested, suggesting the decision serves as an amicus brief for its prior ruling.
Deshawn Butler, 35, faces a federal felon-in-possession charge after his 21-month-old son Jashawn accessed an unsecured gun safe and fatally shot himself on July 11. Butler initially posted bond on a state child endangerment charge but was taken into federal custody. He faces up to 15 years in prison.