Judge Strikes Down Barrier On 18- To 20-Year-Olds From Buying Handguns
The ruling would dismantle decades-old laws and regulations that prohibit federally licensed firearms dealers from selling handguns to those under 21. U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne said the measures violated the Second Amendment.
The Washington Post:
18-To-20-Year-Olds Can’t Be Barred From Buying Handguns, Judge Rules
A federal judge in Virginia has declared unconstitutional a set of laws and regulations that prohibit federally licensed firearms dealers from selling handguns to 18-to-20-year-olds, finding that the measures violated the Second Amendment. ... Gun-control advocates say the decision, if allowed to stand, would significantly increase gun access for a population that research shows is more impulsive and responsible for a disproportionate number of fatal shootings. But attorneys on both sides of the case said they expected the Justice Department to appeal and request a stay, which would prevent Payne’s ruling from taking effect while higher courts weigh the case. (Rizzo, 5/11)
In other news about the gun violence epidemic —
Los Angeles Times:
Texas Bill Would Give Schoolchildren 'Battlefield' Training
About a year after a gunman massacred 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, a bill has been introduced by a state lawmaker to offer annual training to elementary school children on how to tie tourniquets or pack bleeding wounds during mass-casualty incidents. (Petri, 5/11)
The Hill:
Uvalde Shooting Victim’s Father: ‘If These Laws Don’t Change, It’s Gonna Keep On Happening’
The father of one of the victims of last year’s mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, urged state lawmakers this week to push forward with gun control legislation, arguing that “if these laws don’t change, it’s gonna keep on happening.” In an interview with CBS News, Javier Cazares, whose 9-year-old daughter Jacklyn was killed in the Robb Elementary School shooting last May, said that it’s been an “emotional rollercoaster” since the incident. Cazares has been an advocate for gun control legislation in his home state. (Oshin, 5/11)
NPR:
One Way To Prevent Gun Violence? Treat It As A Public Health Issue
Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith was working in an emergency room as a medical student more than four decades ago when she realized that victims of violence were getting treated and then released — unlike other patients — without any sort of preventative care. "And one night, at 3:00 in the morning, a young man just very specifically said to me that he was going to go out and cut the guy who cut him," she says. "I thought, this is not adequate. My response is not adequate. My profession's response is not adequate." (Treisman, 5/12)
CBS News:
Gun Violence Researcher Maps America's "Firearm Ecosystem"
Maurizio Porfiri spoke to CBS News about the strides his engineering team at New York University has made in understanding gun violence, how engineering and mathematical equations can provide insights into gun violence, and what it means to map America's "firearm ecosystem."
