The National Rifle Association has joined in the legal fight against an ordinance in Deerfield, Illinois, that bans assault weapons and imposes fines up to $1,000 on people found in possession of the prohibited guns.
Deerfield, a suburb of Chicago, banned the possession, manufacture and sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines within the village limits, starting June 13.
After Deerfield's ban was passed, the gun rights group Guns Save Life filed a lawsuit to challenge its legality.
"We are going to fight this ordinance, which clearly violates our member's constitutional rights, and with the help of the NRA I believe we can secure a victory for law-abiding gun owners in and around Deerfield," said Guns Save Life President John Boch.
The NRA Institute for Legislative Action announced support for the lawsuit Wednesday.
"Every law-abiding villager of Deerfield has the right to protect themselves, their homes, and their loved ones with the firearm that best suits their needs," said NRA-ILA executive director Chris Cox. "The National Rifle Association is pleased to assist Guns Save Life in defense of this freedom."
The Village of Deerfield Board of Trustees approved the assault weapons ban Monday. The board's vote was unanimous, but there were some dissenting voices present at the meeting.
"First, it's going to be assault rifles," said Deerfield resident Larry Nordal, according to the Pioneer Press. "There will be new bans in the future. It's just a matter of time."
The ordinance included a thorough list of the guns and types of guns that would fall under the ban, including (but not limited to) semiautomatic rifles, semiautomatic pistols, semiautomatic shotguns, and shotguns with revolving cylinders.
The ordinance said "assault weapons are dangerous and unusual weapons which are commonly associated with military or antipersonnel use, capable of a rapid rate of fire, have the capacity to fire a large number of rounds due to large capacity fixed magazines or the ability to use detachable magazines, present unique dangers to law enforcement, and are easily customizable to become even more dangerous weapons of mass casualties and destruction."
(H/T WGN-TV)
