"AR-15s and [large capacity magazines] are most useful in military service, they are beyond the scope of the Second Amendment [...] and may be banned," wrote Massachusetts District Court Judge William Young. The case was first brought in January 2017 by several gun owners, the nonprofit group Gun Owners' Action League, and gun stores On Target Training and Overwatch Outpost.
The plaintiffs filed the lawsuit after Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey put gun dealers and manufacturers on notice that her office would begin enforcing the state's 1998 assault weapons ban that prohibited copies or duplicates of AR-15 and AK-47 rifles. Healy issued that notice in June 2016, days after the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, where a gunman armed with a military-style rifle killed 49 people—the second deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.
Healey, who was named as a defendant in the case, lauded Young's decision in a statement on Friday, vowing that her office "will not be intimidated by the gun lobby."
"Today’s decision upholding the Assault Weapons Ban vindicates the right of the people of Massachusetts to protect themselves from these weapons of war and my office’s efforts to enforce the law," Healey said in a statement. "Strong gun laws save lives, and we will not be intimidated by the gun lobby in our efforts to end the sale of assault weapons and protect our communities and schools. Families across the country should take heart in this victory.”
Court Rules Second Amendment Doesn’t Protect AR-15s
The plaintiffs filed the lawsuit after Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey put gun dealers and manufacturers on notice that her office would begin enforcing the state's 1998 assault weapons ban that prohibited copies or duplicates of AR-15 and AK-47 rifles. Healy issued that notice in June 2016, days after the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, where a gunman armed with a military-style rifle killed 49 people—the second deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.
Healey, who was named as a defendant in the case, lauded Young's decision in a statement on Friday, vowing that her office "will not be intimidated by the gun lobby."
"Today’s decision upholding the Assault Weapons Ban vindicates the right of the people of Massachusetts to protect themselves from these weapons of war and my office’s efforts to enforce the law," Healey said in a statement. "Strong gun laws save lives, and we will not be intimidated by the gun lobby in our efforts to end the sale of assault weapons and protect our communities and schools. Families across the country should take heart in this victory.”
Court Rules Second Amendment Doesn’t Protect AR-15s