Parents of children killed in the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School filed a brief with the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. The group urged the justices to uphold bans on semiautomatic rifles, such as the AR-15, which they have advocated for since the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The filing comes as the court prepares to review two specific cases challenging local and state restrictions on such firearms.
The cases, Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins, involve challenges to bans enacted in Cook County, Illinois, and the state of Connecticut. The United States government, represented by Solicitor General D. John Sauer, filed an amicus curiae brief supporting the petitioners who are challenging the bans. The government argues that AR-15 rifles are "arms" protected by the Second Amendment and are in "common use" for lawful purposes.
In its brief, the Department of Justice stated that the AR-15 is "the most popular rifle in the country." The government contends that historical precedent and Supreme Court rulings, including District of Columbia v. Heller, foreclose categorical bans on firearms that are widely owned by law-abiding citizens. The brief cites the 2026 National Firearms Survey, which reports that millions of Americans own these rifles for activities such as self-defense and hunting.
The Supreme Court will also consider other matters during this term, including a request from the Trump administration on Oct. 21, 2026, to resume border wall construction in the Big Bend region of Texas. Responses to that application are due by 4 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. Regarding the firearm cases, the court has granted writs of certiorari to the Seventh and Second Circuits. A final decision date has not been reported.