US state of Illinois signs assault weapons ban into law

WASHINGTON

Illinois has become the latest US state to impose a ban on the sale or possession of assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

Governor JB Pritzker signed the "Protect Illinois Communities Act" into law on Tuesday in a ceremony, ABC News reported. The bill was earlier approved by the state's House of Representatives in a 68-41 vote.

The state’s Senate passed the bill on Monday in a 34-20 vote.

"For a long time now, I and many other leaders in the Illinois General Assembly have prioritized getting the most dangerous weapons off our state's streets," said the governor in a statement Tuesday.

"Today, honoring the commitment we made, we passed one of the strongest assault weapons bans in the nation, one I will be proud to sign," Pritzker added.

According to ABC News, nine US states and Washington, D.C., currently prohibit the sale or possession of military-style weapons.

Assault weapons, including some semiautomatic firearms, along with high-capacity magazines and rapid-firing devices have been banned with the new law, it reported.

The move came after a mass shooting last year during a Fourth of July Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois, which left seven people dead and scores of others wounded.