Gun law opponents challenge restrictions on young adults
'Adults between the ages of 18 and 20 are part of 'the people,' and there is no historical tradition of limiting the firearms rights of adults on account of their age,' they wrote in their complaint. 'And as for the types of firearms that Massachusetts forbids them from owning, much less carrying, there can be no dispute that they qualify as 'arms' within the 'plain text' meaning of the Second Amendment.'
People ages 18 to 20 in Massachusetts can acquire firearm identification cards, but that document does not grant the ability to purchase, possess, or transfer handguns or semiautomatic firearms, according to plaintiffs. To do so, someone would need to obtain a license to carry, which the law restricts only to people 21 and older.
Advertisement
One of the plaintiffs is Mack Escher of Brewster, a student at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy who falls in the 18-to-20 age range. He has a firearm identification card, but under the new law is unable to purchase or possess a handgun or semiautomatic firearm.
He was joined in the lawsuit by the Gun Owners' Action League, Commonwealth Second Amendment, the Firearms Policy Coalition Inc, the Second Amendment Foundation, and the NRA, as well as the national group Gun Owners of America Inc.
'Massachusetts's new gun control law is one of the most severe attacks on the right to keep and bear arms in our nation's history,' John Commerford, executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement alongside the lawsuit. 'Vindicating the rights of young adults is just our first step towards dismantling this unconstitutional law.'
Advertisement
Supporters of the massive law argue that it will save lives, especially as police work to limit the spread of untraceable 'ghost guns,' and keep gun violence rates in Massachusetts low.
Plaintiffs cited the US Supreme Court's 2022 New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen decision, which deemed unconstitutional a New York law that required applicants to show special need to obtain a concealed carry license. That landmark decision served as a catalyst for the Massachusetts legislation two years later.
The new case, focused on young adult firearms rights, is the latest piece of a broad effort targeting the new restrictions and reforms.
It is at least the third lawsuit filed in federal court so far. The first challenge, filed soon after Healey signed the measure, focused on new licensing and training frameworks. Plaintiffs dropped that case in December after the Legislature delayed the effective date of a requirement for applicants to complete a live-fire training course.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wall Street Journal
36 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Jews Can Defend Themselves
Cynthia Ozick's excellent op-ed 'Antisemitism and the Politics of the Chant' (June 4) reminded me of a quote from the comedian George Carlin (1937-2008): 'Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.' In a letter Nathan Diament counsels that while condemning these mobs is important, 'taking steps to keep American Jews actually safe from violence' is all the more so ('How Can Congress Keep American Jews Safe?,' June 6). With respect, relying solely on politicians to keep American Jews safe isn't the answer. To quote the late Holocaust survivor and educator Simon Wiesenthal: 'Freedom is not a gift from heaven, it's something we have to fight for each and every day.' In that light, perhaps more Jews should avail themselves of that great American innovation: the Second Amendment.
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Newsweek
Child Gun Deaths Grow in States With Least Gun Controls
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Firearms deaths among children and adolescents aged 0 to 17 grew in states with the most permissive gun laws, says a study There were 6,029 excess gun deaths among children between 2011 and 2023 in the states with the "most permissive laws," according to the original investigation Firearm Laws and Pediatric Mortality in the US. States with simply "permissive laws" experienced 1,424 excess firearm deaths among the same age group in that period. California, Maryland, New York and Rhode Island have all experienced a decrease in pediatric firearm mortality since 2010. All four states were classified as states with "strict firearm laws." The results were published in JAMA Pediatrics, a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American Medical Association. Why It Matters The purpose of the study was to study excess firearm mortality rates among children following the Supreme Court's decision in McDonald v Chicago. In 2010, the Court ruled that the right to Second Amendment right to bear arms extends to states through the Fourteenth Amendment. The ruling is considered a landmark decision on firearms regulation. Stock image: Close-up of two black metal 9mm automatic pistols with bullets all placed on a cement table with a black background. Stock image: Close-up of two black metal 9mm automatic pistols with bullets all placed on a cement table with a black To Know The study was conducted using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) database. The study's authors compared data from 1999 to 2010 and 2011 to 2023. States were divided into groupings of most permissive, permissive and strict based on legal actions taken before and since 2010. In the most permissive and permissive states, non-Hispanic Black populations had the largest increase in firearm mortality among children, says the study. Pediatric mortality from other causes did not increase during this period. Firearms became the leading cause of death among children and teens in the U.S. in 2020. The study concludes: "States in the most permissive and permissive firearm law categories experienced greater pediatric firearm mortality during the post–McDonald v Chicago era." What People Are Saying Authors of Firearm Laws and Pediatric Mortality in the US: "These results demonstrate that permissive firearm laws contributed to thousands of excess firearm deaths among children living in states with permissive policies." Dr. Christopher Rees, a pediatric emergency physician at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine, in comments to CNN: "It's not a political issue at the bedside. We should approach this as a way of protecting children and keeping children out of the emergency department." What Happens Next The study's authors suggested that future work should focus on determining which laws caused the most harm and which ones offered the most protection. Reference Faust JS, Chen J, Bhat S, et al. Firearm Laws and Pediatric Mortality in the US. JAMA Pediatr. Published online June 09, 2025. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.1363 Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Colorado joins lawsuit against ATF over deal ending ban on rapid-fire triggers for rifles
DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado is one of 16 states that have sued the Trump administration over its plan to allow the sale of forced-reset triggers that make semiautomatic rifles fire more rapidly and return devices already seized to their owners. The suit announced Monday argues that returning the triggers would violate federal law, pose a threat to residents and law enforcement and worsen gun violence. It was filed in federal court in Maryland. Governor signs bill requiring training for semiautomatic guns, banning rapid-fire conversion devices 'It's hard enough for our local law enforcement officials to protect Colorado communities from gun violence without the federal government willfully ignoring the law,' said Attorney General Weiser. 'The law is clear: machine guns, and devices that turn a semiautomatic weapon into a machine gun, are illegal. We're suing to stop the ATF and the administration from making our communities more dangerous by distributing thousands of devices that turn firearms into weapons of war. These weapons have no place in our communities, and I will continue to fight to keep Coloradans safe from gun violence.' The Colorado law banning the sale of rapid-fire conversion devices, including forced-reset triggers, was signed into law in April and will go into effect on Aug. 1, 2026. Second Amendment supporters have called on the U.S. Attorney General to investigate the measure as an infringement on the U.S. Constitution. Weiser said in a release announcing the state's participation in the lawsuit that machine gun conversion devices like the forced-reset triggers are frequently used in violent crimes and mass shootings. The state attorney general said that by using these devices, firearms can exceed the rate of fire of many military machine guns. 'ATF has noted a significant rise in the use of these types of devices, leading to incidents of machine-gun fire increasing by 1,400% from 2019 through 2021,' Weiser said in a press release. There had been several legal battles over the devices, which replace the typical trigger on an AR-15-style rifle. The Biden administration had previously argued the triggers qualify as machine guns under federal law because constant finger pressure on the triggers will keep a rifle firing, essentially creating an illegal machine gun. The ATF previously classified the triggers as machine guns, but under a directive from the Trump Administration, the bureau signed the settlement agreement that promises to stop enforcing federal law against the devices. New requirements begin July 1 for Colorado concealed carry permits Rare Breed Triggers, the maker of the devices, had argued that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was wrong in its classification and ignored demands to stop selling the triggers before being sued by the Biden administration. The Justice Department reached a deal announced last month with Rare Breed Triggers to allow the sale of forced-reset triggers. The company was previously represented by David Warrington, Trump's current White House counsel. Under the settlement, Rare Breed Triggers agreed not to develop such devices to be used on handguns, according to the Justice Department. The settlement requires the ATF to return triggers that it had seized or that owners had voluntarily surrendered to the government. The states' lawsuit is being led by the attorneys general of Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey. Other states involved are Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, along with the District of Columbia. The attorneys general in those states are all Democrats, though the office in Hawaii is technically nonpartisan. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
