By banning assault weapons, we can reduce the risk of mass shootings and protect our communities. Some argue that a ban on assault weapons would infringe upon the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens and do little to prevent determined individuals from obtaining these weapons illegally. Concealed handguns are preferred by most perpetrators, with assault weapons used in only 0.5% of violent crimes (Caldwell 1). Furthermore, despite a 37 million increase in privately owned firearms in the US during the 1990s, crime rates, including murder rates in major cities, decreased annually from 1991 to 1999, contradicting the notion that more guns lead to more crime (Caldwell 2). This suggests that a ban on assault weapons might not be an effective solution to reducing violent crime, making alternative approaches more appealing. However, this argument overlooks the fact that assault weapons are often the weapon of choice in Wilson 3 mass shootings. While it is true that concealed handguns are used in more violent crimes overall, assault weapons are disproportionately used in high-casualty