press release
May 22, 2023
Attorney General Tong defends federal restrictions on selling handguns to those under 21
(Hartford, Conn.) – Attorney General William Tong has issued a brief to the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit defending the federal government’s longstanding ban on the sale of handguns and handgun ammunition by federally licensed retailers. joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general who submitted to To individuals under the age of 21.
Case, Reese vs. ATFis joined by young Louisiana residents Caleb Reese and Emily Naquin, as well as three groups of gun lobbyists representing firearm manufacturers and owners. They challenge federal age limits on purchasing handguns dating back to 1968 and the passage of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act. Congress enacted this legal limit after finding that individuals under the age of 21 were disproportionately involved in violent crimes such as murder, rape, and aggravated assault at the time.
The lawsuit was dismissed by a federal judge in Louisiana in late 2022. The issue is currently on appeal in the Fifth Circuit. In a similar challenge, a federal judge in Virginia overruled a similar age limit last week. The US Department of Justice is expected to appeal the ruling.
“This is yet another extremist challenge backed by gun control groups seeking to repeal life-saving, longstanding public safety laws. We are not banning the enactment of basic measures in the United States, and we are working with the federal government to fight this dangerous challenge to defend our nation’s common sense gun control.” Attorney General Ton said.
“We are well aware of the tragedy that can occur when access to dangerous firearms, including handguns, becomes free. We have a long history of addressing this public health crisis with common sense laws.” Jeremy Stein, executive director of the Connecticut Bureau of Gun Violence, said:
Attorneys general argue that the Second Amendment allows the government to enact sensible and diverse regulations to protect the public, including age-based restrictions on the purchase, possession and use of firearms. . Regulations vary according to each state’s needs, but virtually all states impose some form of age-based regulation on firearms, and at least 19 states and the District of Columbia have federal minimum requirements for purchasing handguns. We impose regulations that reflect the age requirement of 21.
In filing the court brief with Attorney General Ton, the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin.
- twitter: @AgWilliamTong
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Media contact:
Elizabeth Benton
elizabeth.benton@ct.gov
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