Deerfield village board bans certain semi-automatic weapons

DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Members of the village board in the northern Chicago suburb of Deerfield have voted unanimously to ban certain semi-automatic firearms.

The amendment to the village's gun ordinance restricts firearms that village leaders define as assault weapons along with high-capacity magazines. That includes the AR-15, which has been used in mass shootings. The new law goes into effect June 13. Residents who don't remove banned weapons by then face a fine of $1,000 a day.

The ordinance is based on Highland Park's high-powered weapons ban, which survived a 2015 legal battle that went to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Deerfield Village Manager Kent Street said if more towns banned the weapons then it's possible the state and federal government will too. Opponents of the ban say it makes Deerfield less safe.