Amanda Vicki.

>> there's talk about how to curb gun violence, 2 words often come assault It's a loaded Those who own them consider it a meaningless classification deployed for political purposes to critics.

They signify guns literally meant for Illinois is one of 10 states plus Washington, D.C., with the so-called assault weapons ban on the But the intention of the term may not be universally agreed upon.

Illinois has a definition it's spelled out in not protect Illinois Communities.

of 2023 state law that bans assault weapons from being purchased souls or owned in Illinois.

There is an exception, anyone who legally owned banned guns before the law took effect can keep Illinois's definition is thorough and the list of guns that meet the criteria is constantly evolving at a high level, the law describes an assault weapon as a semiautomatic firearm with the capacity to fire a lot of rounds quickly.

That includes AR 15 style guns like those used in the mass shooting in suburban Highland Park as well as in Uvalde, Texas, Buffalo, New York and The law prohibits high capacity magazines, 12 defining them as anything with at least 10 rounds of ammunition for long guns, 15 for handguns.

Of course, there are ways to buy a gun illegally or to modify illegal firearm into one.

That's more high power and the availability of so-called assault weapons and other states, including all of Illinois's neighbors, means that such make their way into Illinois fan or not, which is, of course, also illegal gun rights advocates say they shouldn't have to contend with such limitations that the Second Amendment protects their right to bear arms, including AR Fifteens.

Whether Illinois's law is constitutional is a question.

U.S. Supreme Court is likely to set up.

>> And you can see more of our Emmy award-winning series W T Tw News explains on our website and we have more on the movement of illegal guns and to the fight to stop it right after this.

>> Chicago, tonight's coverage