U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that Illinois’
ban is ‘highly suspect because it broadly prohibits common
semiautomatic firearms used for lawful purposes.”
In a discussion at the City Club of Chicago, Attorney General
Raoul questioned whether the text of the Second Amendment
protects AR-15s.
“Butler, Pennsylvania from last week illustrates for us that
AR-15s can have lethality from long distance away, and I don’t
think that’s the vision of the framers back in the 18th century
that people were going to be walking around with AR-15s near
schoolyards, presidential rallies, and places like that. It’s
more of a weapon of war,” Raoul said.
The Supreme Court declined to hear cases challenging the
Illinois ban until appeals courts give their final judgments.
Raoul said his office will continue to defend the state’s
prohibition of semiautomatic rifles.
“People have misinterpreted the Supreme Court denying cert as
meaning that’s a final answer on the assault weapons ban,” the
attorney general said.
Raoul’s Crime Gun Connect platform aims to identify sources of
illegal firearms. The attorney general said that most mass
shootings and day-to-day shootings do not involve guns that are
legally bought.
“Cracking down on the trafficking, on the straw purchases, are
critical to cracking down on the more frequently-occurring types
of mass shootings,” Raoul said.
Raoul said he would applaud any effort by the General Assembly
to enhance reporting of lost and stolen weapons.
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