JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — You may have to be 21 to legally buy a gun in Florida, but under a new court ruling, 18 to 20-year-olds can now legally carry concealed firearms.
That ruling from a state appeals court found the nearly 40-year-old prohibition violated young adults’ 2nd Amendment rights.
Lucy Rowles with Florida Action Alliance worries about the impacts on public safety.
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FBI statistics show 18 to 20-year-olds commit the largest share of homicides of any age category, accounting for about 20 percent of all homicides across the country since 1985.
“18 to 20-year-olds can now carry a hidden firearm that they can’t legally purchase and, you know, that’s not a loophole, that’s a policy disaster,” said Rowles.
Currently, Floridians aged 18 to 20 can only obtain a firearm as a gift from a family member or through inheritance.
There are also exemptions for military members, police and corrections officers.
While the ruling may seem like a monumental shift in Florida law, Florida Carry General Counsel Eric Friday argued it doesn’t change much.
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He noted under another court ruling issued last September, 18 to 20-year-olds were already granted the right to openly carry firearms.
“But most people don’t want to open carry, they want to concealed carry. That is what is more typical in this time period,” said Friday.
In both cases, Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier declined to defend or openly called into question the constitutionality of the state’s gun laws.
Similarly, he agreed to enter into a settlement earlier this month, seeking to have the state’s three-day wait period for firearms purchases declared unconstitutional.
“He seems to have chosen the gun lobby over the safety of Floridians,” said Rowles.
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But Friday argues Uthmeier is upholding his constitutional duty, not ignoring it.
“The Attorney General is conceding these points because he has properly read the Constitution and the recent US Supreme Court decisions,” said Friday.
Friday said it’s possible Florida’s current age restriction for gun purchases may end up before the US Supreme Court as early as next year, possibly putting at risk similar restrictions in 12 other states as well.
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