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Justice Brett Kavanaugh added his voice as well, suggesting that while the Court passed for now, it won’t be ignoring the issue forever. In his statement, Kavanaugh said:
“Additional petitions for certiorari will likely be before this Court shortly and, in my view, this Court should and presumably will address the AR-15 issue soon, in the next Term or two.”
That glimmer of hope may be the only consolation gun rights supporters have at this moment.
Maryland’s 2012 law came in the wake of the tragic Sandy Hook shooting, but critics say it was a sweeping overreach that punished lawful citizens while doing little to prevent future violence. David Snope, the Maryland man challenging the law, argued that he simply wanted the right to own firearms commonly used across the country for self-defense. His request? The ability to legally purchase rifles like the AR-15—rifles that remain legal in the vast majority of states.
As for Rhode Island, the high-capacity magazine ban has been seen as a slippery slope. Critics argue the term “high-capacity” is misleading and arbitrary. Most standard-issue magazines for commonly owned rifles and handguns easily exceed 10 rounds, meaning the law impacts a vast number of firearms already in circulation.
Still, the Supreme Court turned away both appeals, effectively giving the green light for these state-level restrictions to continue—at least for now.
Second Amendment defenders are sounding the alarm, warning that this continued hesitation by the nation’s highest court could have serious consequences for the future of gun rights in America.
The justices’ refusal to take up the issue leaves lower court rulings in place—many of which have upheld restrictive laws despite the Supreme Court’s landmark Bruen decision in 2022, which reaffirmed that the right to bear arms is not a second-class constitutional right.
It’s no wonder Justice Thomas has repeatedly voiced frustration over the Court’s unwillingness to enforce its own precedent when it comes to the Second Amendment.
With more challenges in the pipeline, Kavanaugh’s statement may offer a small sign that the Court is biding its time before stepping into the fray. But for now, millions of gun owners are left with uncertainty—and more questions than answers.
One thing is clear: the battle over the right to keep and bear arms is far from over.
