Justice Department Sues Denver Over Citywide Ban On AR-15-Style Rifles
On Tuesday, May 5, 2026, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the City and County of Denver, challenging the city's ban on AR-15-style rifles and asking a federal court to block enforcement.
The 12-page complaint was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado and names the City and County of Denver and the Denver Police Department. DOJ officials say the ordinance bars AR-15-style rifles, which the department calls the most popular rifles in America and therefore protected by the Second Amendment. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said the case is being brought through the DOJ's Second Amendment Section.
The episode traces back to 1989, when Denver enacted its assault-weapons ordinance amid rising gang violence and mass shootings. The city's ban has survived decades of legal scrutiny and has been litigated against the U.S. Supreme Court precedent set in District of Columbia v. Heller. After the 2024 presidential election, the new administration created the DOJ's Second Amendment Section in December 2025 and in late April 2026 demanded Denver repeal the ordinance; city officials refused.
An estimated 30.7 million modern sporting rifles, including AR-15-style rifles, were in circulation in the United States as of February 2025, a fact the DOJ cites to argue these firearms are in "common use" for lawful purposes. Supporters hailed the lawsuit on social media as fulfillment of campaign promises, while local leaders said they will defend the ordinance as a public-safety measure.
Supporters of the DOJ's lawsuit, including gun rights advocates on social media, view the action as a fulfillment of campaign promises and a necessary step to uphold Second Amendment rights. For instance, @hannahhill_sc emphasized that this move reflects the administration's commitment to protecting gun ownership, while @ElectionWiz framed it as a reinforcement of the Supreme Court's Heller decision, asserting that the Second Amendment should not be treated as a lesser right. The lawsuit also signals a potential shift in federal policy, as noted by @AidenReports, who suggests it could initiate a broader campaign against local assault weapons bans nationwide.
However, the context of this legal challenge is complicated by the historical and statistical realities surrounding gun violence. While rifles, including AR-15s, were involved in 401 homicides in 2024, handguns accounted for 8,829, raising questions about the efficacy of targeting specific firearm types for public safety. Furthermore, data from the National Institute of Justice indicates that assault rifles were used in 25.1% of public mass shootings from 1966 to 2019, suggesting that the debate over such bans is deeply intertwined with concerns about mass violence, particularly in urban areas where gun control measures are often more stringent. This urban-rural divide in perspectives on gun control continues to shape the national conversation around the Second Amendment and public safety.
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📊 Relevant Data
Denver's assault weapons ban, codified in Section 38-130 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code, was enacted in 1989 in response to a spike in violent crime in the metro area. ([Denverite](https://denverite.com/2026/05/04/denver-assault-weapons-ban-trump-order)) ([Denverite](https://denverite.com/2026/05/04/denver-assault-weapons-ban-trump-order)) ([Denverite](https://denverite.com/2026/05/04/denver-assault-weapons-ban-trump-order)) ([Denverite](https://denverite.com/2026/05/04/denver-assault-weapons-ban-trump-order)) ([Denverite](https://denverite.com/2026/05/04/denver-assault-weapons-ban-trump-order))
Denver defies Trump administration order to repeal assault weapons ban — Denverite
An estimated 30.7 million modern sporting rifles, including AR-15 style rifles, are in circulation in the United States. ([Guns.com](https://www.guns.com/news/2025/02/18/americans-have-over-30-million-ar-15s-aks-etc-in-circulation)) ([Guns.com](https://www.guns.com/news/2025/02/18/americans-have-over-30-million-ar-15s-aks-etc-in-circulation)) ([Guns.com](https://www.guns.com/news/2025/02/18/americans-have-over-30-million-ar-15s-aks-etc-in-circulation)) ([Guns.com](https://www.guns.com/news/2025/02/18/americans-have-over-30-million-ar-15s-aks-etc-in-circulation)) ([Guns.com](https://www.guns.com/news/2025/02/18/americans-have-over-30-million-ar-15s-aks-etc-in-circulation))
Americans Have Over 30 Million AR-15s, AKs, etc. in Circulation — Guns.com
In the United States, rifles were used in 401 homicides, compared to 8,829 homicides involving handguns. ([Statista](https://www.statista.com/statistics/195325/murder-victims-in-the-us-by-weapon-used)) ([Statista](https://www.statista.com/statistics/195325/murder-victims-in-the-us-by-weapon-used)) ([Statista](https://www.statista.com/statistics/195325/murder-victims-in-the-us-by-weapon-used)) ([Statista](https://www.statista.com/statistics/195325/murder-victims-in-the-us-by-weapon-used)) ([Statista](https://www.statista.com/statistics/195325/murder-victims-in-the-us-by-weapon-used))
Assault rifles were used in 25.1% of public mass shootings in the United States. ([National Institute of Justice](https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/public-mass-shootings-database-amasses-details-half-century-us-mass-shootings)) ([National Institute of Justice](https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/public-mass-shootings-database-amasses-details-half-century-us-mass-shootings)) ([National Institute of Justice](https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/public-mass-shootings-database-amasses-details-half-century-us-mass-shootings)) ([National Institute of Justice](https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/public-mass-shootings-database-amasses-details-half-century-us-mass-shootings)) ([National Institute of Justice](https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/public-mass-shootings-database-amasses-details-half-century-us-mass-shootings))
Public Mass Shootings: Database Amasses Details of a Half Century of U.S. Mass Shootings with Firearms, Generating Psychosocial Histories — National Institute of Justice
📌 Key Facts
- On Tuesday, May 5, 2026, DOJ announced a lawsuit against Denver over its assault-weapons ordinance.
- The 12-page complaint was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado and names the City and County of Denver and the Denver Police Department.
- DOJ says Denver’s law bans AR-15-style rifles, which it calls the most popular rifles in America and therefore protected under the Second Amendment.
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said the case is being brought through DOJ’s new Second Amendment Section.
- The lawsuit relies on the Supreme Court’s District of Columbia v. Heller precedent regarding arms in common use for lawful purposes.
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