OLYMPIA, Wash. - Washington is now the tenth state to ban the sale of semi-automatic rifles after Gov. Jay Inslee signed SHB 1240 into law on Tuesday.
The high-powered firearms — once banned nationwide — are now the weapon of choice among young men responsible for most of the country’s devastating mass shootings.
The ban comes after multiple failed attempts in the state's Legislature, and amid the most mass shootings during the first 100 days of a calendar year since 2009.
The Washington law blocks the sale, distribution, manufacture and importation of more than 50 gun models, including AR-15s, AK-47s and similar-style rifles. These guns fire one bullet per trigger pull and automatically reload for a subsequent shot. Some exemptions are included for sales to law enforcement agencies and the military in Washington.
