Deerfield Village Board unanimously votes to ban some semi-automatic weapons

DEERFEILD, Ill. (WLS) -- The Deerfield Village Board voted unanimously to ban some semi-automatic firearms.

The amendment to the village's gun ordinance restricts firearms village leaders define as assault weapons, such as AR-15s.

AR-15 rifles have been used in various mass shootings, including the Parkland, Florida school shooting.

"This is our fight. This is our generation's fight, and we're going to keep fighting," said Deerfield High School student Ariella Kharasch. "Thank you for being part of that."

Deerfield's new ordinance also prohibits high-capacity magazines. The ordinance is patterned after Highland Park's ban on high-powered weapons.

Highland Park's ordinance survived a 2015 legal battle that went to the United States Supreme Court.

"If Highland Park, if Deerfield, if more towns say no to this type of weapon, maybe the state of Illinois says no," said Deerfield Village Manager Kent Street. "Maybe the Federal government says no."

Opponents of the ban said it makes Deerfield less safe.

"You are the bureaucrats that Thomas Jefferson warned us about," said Deerfield resident Dan Cox.

The new ordinance goes into effect on June 13. Residents who do not remove the banned weapons from their homes by that date face a fine of $1,000 per day.