Judge in Virginia says law banning sales of handguns to young adults is unconstitutional
NBCJUL 2023
The Spin
Democratic narrative
This ruling invalidates an essential tool for controlling gun violence. Guns are the leading cause of death for US children, and research shows that 18- to 20-year-olds commit homicides at triple the rate of adults who are 21 and older. This decision will put lives at risk and must be reversed.
Republican narrative
The state was unable to provide examples or statistics to justify this irrational ban on gun buyers from one age group, and the precedent set in the SCOTUS Bruen case makes this a slam dunk. These gun buyers will be held to the same federal standard as older gun purchasers, so there’s no safety concern that would make it acceptable to violate these people’s Second Amendment rights.
Metaculus Prediction
There's a 50% chance that there will be at least 1.4 small firearms per capita in the US in 2029, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
