Virginia gun ban ignites firestorm as local prosecutor refuses enforcement and lawsuits fly
A major legal battle has erupted in Virginia just hours after Democratic Governor Abigail Spanberger signed new restrictions on modern semiautomatic firearms into law on Thursday evening. Moments after the bills were signed, pro-Second Amendment groups filed lawsuits to strike down the bans, while a local prosecutor announced he will outright refuse to enforce them.
On Friday, Spotsylvania County Commonwealth’s Attorney G. Ryan Mehaffey sent a letter to Spotsylvania County Sheriff Roger L. Harris, declaring that the new legislation cannot be “lawfully enforced” based on recent U.S. Supreme Court precedents.
“The Assault Weapons Ban (SB 749/HB 217) and the Public Carry Ban (SB 727/HB 1524) are undoubtedly inconsistent with the historical tradition of Virginia, as articulated by Miller, and are thus unconstitutional under Bruen,” Mehaffey wrote in the letter. He added, “Moreover, Heller secures the right of Virginians to keep and bear the most popular rifle in America, the AR-15.”
he prosecutor’s stance received immediate backing from local leadership in Spotsylvania County, which previously designated itself a “Second Amendment sanctuary.”
Chris Mullins, the Vice Chair of the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors, publicly praised the decision. “My good friend and fellow Oath Keeper, Commonwealth Attorney Ryan Mehaffey is supporting our resolution declaring Spotsylvania County a 2A Sanctuary county,” Mullins posted online. “We will not comply with Governor Spanberger’s infringement on our unalienable Constitutional rights.”
The resistance to Virginia’s new laws is also drawing attention at the federal level. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet K. Dhillon signaled via a social media post on Thursday night that the Trump administration intends to sue the state over the legislation.
This move follows a broader federal pushback against local and state firearm restrictions. The Department of Justice recently sued the city of Denver over a similar firearm ban on May 5, and followed up by filing litigation to overturn Colorado’s magazine limit ban on May 6.
At the center of the debate are semiautomatic firearms equipped with specific cosmetic features. While gun-control advocates frequently categorize these firearms as “assault weapons” to build legislative momentum, the firearm industry refers to them as “modern sporting rifles.”
According to data released by the National Shooting Sports Foundation in January, there are currently more than 32 million of these rifles, which include the standard AR-15 platform, in circulation across the United States.
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