Sandy Hook Families Urge Supreme Court to Uphold Rifle Bans

Families of victims from the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting filed a friend of the court brief on Wednesday urging the Supreme Court of the United States to uphold state and local bans on AR-15-style semiautomatic rifles. The families argue these weapons are designed for military use and are too dangerous for civilians, citing the extreme lethality of the firearm used in the Newtown massacre.

The court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on December 2 regarding challenges to bans in Connecticut and Cook County, Illinois. Lower courts have previously upheld both laws. In the brief, Jennifer Hensel and Nicole Hockley advocated for the bans, with Hockley urging the court to prioritize the safety of children and communities.

Opposing the bans, the Second Amendment Foundation and other gun rights advocates argue that such restrictions are unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. Konstadinos Moros of the foundation contended that school shootings result from inadequate security and the existence of soft targets rather than the specific type of firearm used.