US court rules ban on gun sales to people under 21 unconstitutional
Kyiv • UNN
The U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled unconstitutional a federal law that prohibits the purchase of guns by people under 21. The decision is based on the Second Amendment, which protects the right to arms for all citizens over 18 years of age.
The U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled against a federal law requiring young people to be 21 years old to purchase firearms. The law was found to violate the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. It was reported by NBC News, UNN.
Details
It is noted that the decision was made by a three-judge panel in New Orleans. It comes amid major changes in firearms trafficking following a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that expanded gun rights in 2022.
The court ruled that people aged 18 to 20 should not be prohibited from buying guns.
After all, the text of the Second Amendment includes eighteen- to twenty-year-olds among the “people” whose right to keep and bear arms is protected
In the past, appeals courts have upheld age restrictions. However, after the Supreme Court ruling that firearms restrictions should be based on the country's historical traditions, judges in states such as Minnesota, Virginia, and Texas struck down such laws.
According to NBC, the administration of former US President Joe Biden fought these decisions. However, it is unknown how the administration of the new President Donald Trump will act. The outlet added that during last year's election campaign, he told the National Rifle Association audience that “no one is going to lay a finger on your firearms.
Among those who challenged the ban were the Firearms Policy Coalition, the Second Amendment Foundation, and the Louisiana Shooting Association.
If we can trust young people to defend our country, we can certainly trust them to own any and all legal firearms
NBC also reminded that the US Supreme Court decided last year to uphold the federal gun law. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, this law requires a person to be 21 years old to buy a handgun from a licensed firearms dealer and 18 years old to buy a long gun from a dealer.
Recall
In 2024, 5898 offenses related to illegal handling of weapons were recorded in Ukraine. Most cases were reported in Dnipropetrovs'k, Kharkiv, and Kyiv regions.
