A federal judge strikes down California's 30-year assault weapons ban

A US judge has annulled this Friday a ban on assault weapons in California that had been in force for three decades, in a decision quickly condemned by the governor of that state, Gavin Newsom, which coincides with a sharp increase in violent acts with weapons. of fire in the country.

In a 94-page ruling, Federal Judge Roger T.. Benitez describes California's 1989 assault weapons ban as unconstitutional and defended the right of Americans to own semi-automatic rifles.. “Like the Swiss Army knife, the popular AR-15 rifle is a perfect combination of home defense weapon and home defense equipment,” he writes..

“Weapons and ammunition in the hands of criminals, tyrants and terrorists are dangerous; weapons in the hands of responsible, law-abiding citizens are better,” the judge argued.. Benitez says the state will have 30 days to appeal the decision, which Governor Newson says poses a “direct threat to public safety” and that he will seek to reverse..

The ruling comes at a time of particular gun violence in the United States and just a week after a heavily armed public transportation worker killed eight people and then committed suicide in San Jose, California.. In a search carried out in the shooter's house – which was set on fire shortly before the attack – 12 weapons, some 22,000 ammunition and what appeared to be Molotov cocktails were found.. Mass shootings have also recently taken place in Florida, Indiana, Colorado and Georgia..

Lawsuit in New York

The Supreme Court is also scheduled to analyze a lawsuit filed by the arms industry lobby against a New York law that restricts the carrying of weapons outside the home.. It is the first major case in more than a decade in which the nation’s highest court will rule on an issue involving the Second Amendment to the Constitution, which concerns the right to own firearms.

Although the confinements due to the coronavirus pandemic brought a lull in violence, there were record gun sales. In April, President Joe Biden called gun violence in the United States an “epidemic” and an “international disgrace.” Last year there were 43,000 people killed by guns and since the beginning of 2021 it has already topped 17,000, according to the Gun Violence Archive site.