Illinois becomes latest US state to ban assault weapons
For Illinois, the ban came six months after a gunman wielding a semiautomatic rifle shot and killed seven people at a 4th of July parade in a Chicago suburb. Illinois on Tuesday became the latest U.S. state to ban the sale or possession of semiautomatic weapons . Just hours after the legislation's passage in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the "Protect Illinois Communities Act" into law during a ceremony at the State Capitol in Springfield. Supporters, some of whom were gun violence survivors, erupted with applause and cheers as the governor presented the signed document. "For a long time now, I and many other leaders in the Illinois General Assembly have prioritized getting the most dangerous weapons off our state's streets," Pritzker said in a statement Tuesday. "Today, honoring the commitment we made, we passed one of the strongest assault weapons bans in the nation, one I will be proud to sign." MORE...