LOS ANGELES - A U.S. appeals court ruled Wednesday that California s ban on the sale of semiautomatic weapons to adults younger than 21 is unconstitutional.
A panel of the 9th U.S. 9th U.S. was appointed in a 2 -- 1 ruling. The Circuit Court of Appeals said Wednesday that the law violates the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms and a San Diego judge should have blocked a ban on semiautomatic centerfire rifles for young adults. America would not exist without the heroism of the young adults who fought and died in our revolutionary army, Judge Ryan Nelson wrote. Today, we reaffirm that our Constitution still protects the right that enabled their sacrifice: the right of young adults to keep and bear arms. The Firearms Policy Coalition, which brought the case, says the ruling makes them optimistic that other age-based gun bans will be overturned.
The decision was not a victory for gun rights advocates who wanted to stop the state from requiring a gun license for purchases of rifles or shotguns by adults under 21 who are not in the military or law enforcement.
The license requirement was ruled to be reasonable for public safety through sensible firearms control. The stricter age limits for rifles and shotguns were passed in 2018 after some of the nation's worst mass shootings occurred by young adults using rifles, including the Valentine's Day 2018 slayings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.