A divided U.S. Supreme Court steered clear of the politically charged fight over gun rights, turning away a challenge to a law banning semi-automatic assault weapons and large-capacity magazines in a Chicago suburb.

The justices left intact a federal appeals court decision that said the Highland Park, Illinois, restrictions don't infringe on the constitutional right to bear arms. The appeals court said residents have plenty of legal self-defense options, including handguns and other types of long guns.

The gun-control debate has intensified in recent months amid a series of mass shootings, including the Dec. 2 terrorist assault that killed 14 people at a social services center in San Bernardino, California. Had the high court taken up the Highland Park case, the justices would have issued their ruling next year in the heat of the presidential campaign.