The Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down a Pennsylvania law that permitted 18-year-olds to openly carry firearms during declared states of emergency, The Associated Press reports.
The decision, issued without noted dissents, upholds a ban on individuals aged 18 to 20 carrying guns in public during such emergencies.
The case, coming in the wake of significant shifts in the firearm legal landscape, marks another chapter in the ongoing debate over gun rights in the United States. Following a landmark 2022 Supreme Court decision that expanded gun rights, numerous gun laws have been challenged and struck down, including age restrictions, in states like Minnesota, Virginia, and Texas.
Pennsylvania challengers of the law argued that younger individuals were not prohibited from carrying guns at the time of the nation’s founding, and therefore should not be barred today. However, the Supreme Court has recently ruled in favor of a law intended to protect victims of domestic violence, stating that restrictions on gun ownership have historical precedent.
The court’s decision on Tuesday instructs the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider the Pennsylvania case in light of this precedent.
Pennsylvania officials had previously argued that there is a long-standing tradition dating back to the 1850s of limiting gun ownership to individuals aged 21 and older.
This decision adds to the growing debate over gun control and the application of historical precedent in the interpretation of the Second Amendment.
