Denver Defends Ban on Assault Weapons

Denver Defends Ban on Assault Weapons

Published on July 07, 2026

Mayor Mike Johnston today announced the city will vigorously defend Denver's assault weapons and high-capacity magazines ban following a legal challenge. A lawsuit was filed last week by the Colorado State Shooting Association, an arm of the National Rifle Association, and comes on the heels of a similar effort from the Trump Administration.

"We will not be intimidated out of keeping Denver safe, least of all by this president or the NRA," said Mayor Mike Johnston. "This law saves lives, and we will fight to keep it in place and keep assault weapons off our streets."

Denver's ordinance, originally passed in 1989, restricts the possession and sale of guns with magazines carrying more than 15 rounds. The city has clear legal authority to regulate firearms within its borders, and the ordinance is consistent with both Colorado law, which CSSA also seeks to challenge, and the U.S. Constitution.

"In an era when gun violence is a top public safety concern, these laws give law enforcement and prosecutors the tools we need to protect the community, in full compliance with the Second Amendment," said Denver District Attorney John Walsh. "As Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia himself explained, the right to bear arms under the 2nd Amendment is not unlimited - these commonsense laws protect community safety and 2nd Amendment rights at the same time. We look forward to establishing that in court, yet again."

"Six federal appeals courts have correctly concluded that assault weapon bans and high-capacity magazine limits are entirely constitutional," said Eric Tirschwell, Executive Director of Everytown Law. "These are common-sense, life-saving measures, and we stand squarely with Denver in the fight to defend them."

Mayor Johnston has made public safety the centerpiece of his administration. Last year, Denver recorded its second lowest homicide rate since 1990, with violent crime remaining well below pandemic-era highs.

The city has also taken an aggressive approach to defending Denver's values in court, filing five lawsuits and five amicus briefs challenging actions by the Trump Administration. Those cases seek to protect Congressionally-appropriated funding, push back against National Guard and ICE deployments in cities, defend reproductive rights, and preserve Denver's values around equity, diversity, and immigration.

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