A U.S. appeals court ruled against a federal law requiring young adults to be 21 to buy handguns, citing that it violated the Second Amendment. The ruling, made by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, stated that individuals aged 18 to 20 should not be prohibited from buying guns as they are included among ‘the people’ protected by the Second Amendment. This ruling comes in the wake of a landmark Supreme Court decision that expanded gun rights in 2022.
The court’s decision sends the case back to a lower court judge and is a departure from previous rulings upholding the age restriction. Similar laws have been struck down in states like Minnesota, Virginia, and Texas based on the nation’s historical traditions regarding firearm restrictions.
The Biden administration had opposed these rulings, while the Trump administration has been vocal in support of firearm rights. Advocates challenging the ban argue that if young adults can be trusted to defend the country, they should be trusted to own legal firearms.
Federal law currently requires individuals to be 21 to purchase a handgun from a licensed dealer and 18 to buy a long gun. The decision was criticized by organizations like the Giffords Law Center, who argue that age restrictions help prevent violence. The future of the law remains uncertain as the case bounces back to the lower court for reconsideration.
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