Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul spearheaded a coalition of 21 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, urging the court to uphold Florida’s law prohibiting individuals under the age of 21 from purchasing firearms.
The brief was filed in the case of National Rifle Association v. Commissioner, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which challenges a provision of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act.
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This law generally prohibits firearm purchases by individuals under 21, aiming to prevent tragedies like the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Raoul had previously led a coalition defending the law in October 2021.
Although a panel of the appellate court upheld the law in March 2023, the full court has since voted to rehear the case, with arguments set for the fall.
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The brief argues that the Second Amendment allows states to enact regulations designed to promote gun safety and reduce gun violence, consistent with historical tradition.
Raoul and his colleagues emphasize that states have long exercised their power to protect public health, safety, and welfare by enacting measures to minimize gun violence.
They also note that Florida’s age-based regulation aligns with similar measures taken by other states and upheld by courts across the country.
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Currently, at least 19 states and Washington D.C. have enacted a minimum age requirement of 21 for certain categories of firearms.
“Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act establishes a reasonable age-based restriction on firearm sales to help prevent another deadly school shooting,” Raoul stated. “This act honors the memory of a tragedy that could have been prevented by commonsense firearm sales restrictions. I will continue to defend states’ rights to enact regulations that keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of those who may not use them responsibly.”
Chicago’s firearm homicide rate is an outlier among major U.S. cities.
At a rate of 29 firearm homicides per 100,000 residents, it is six times higher than New York City’s and three times higher than in Los Angeles. In 2020 alone, gun homicides increased 52%, resulting in 769 deaths. In 2023, there were 2,880 people shot in Chicago, which is a 17% decrease from 2022.
That figure is also down 34% over 2021’s total, when 4,384 were shot. In December 2023 alone, there were 37 homicides and 154 shootings.
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