The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a challenge to Highland Park's ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines Monday.
The city passed its prohibition on possessing, selling or making weapons and ammunition in June of 2013.
“We are pleased that the 7th Circuit decision to uphold Highland Park’s right to take reasonable steps to protect our citizens from particularly dangerous firearms has been preserved," Mayor Nancy Rotering said. "Banning assault weapons and large capacity magazines is a common sense step to reducing gun violence and protecting our children, our law enforcement and our communities from potential mass violence and grief.”
The challenge to Highland Park's rule was brought by Arie Friedman, MD, and the Illinois State Rifle Association who claimed the ruling violated their Second Amendment rights to bear arms. The case went to the U.S. District Court and then to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, with both judges ruling the ban did not impose on Second Amendment rights because it didn't threaten to ban all weapons, only ones considered "dangerous and unusual."
The ruling comes after a recent mass shooting in San Bernadino, Calif., reignited the call for local, state and federal lawmakers to work harder to develop solutions for preventing gun violence.
Alerts Sign-up