On July 10, 2026, the legal landscape surrounding gun control in the United States took a major turn as a federal appeals panel ruled in favor of Illinois’ strict firearms legislation. The law in question, the Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA), was originally signed into law following the tragic mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park. The statute prohibits the sale, manufacture, and possession of a wide range of semiautomatic rifles: often categorized
