A federal appeals court declared that the Minnesota statute prohibiting residents aged 18 to 20 from carrying handguns in public is unconstitutional. This ruling supports a district court's decision affirming that the Second Amendment right to bear arms extends to all adults within the state. The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit could soon allow Minnesota residents to apply to carry handguns in public once they turn 18, removing an age restriction the state imposed in 2003, reports the Washington Post. The three-judge panel cited a 2022 Supreme Court decision saying law-abiding Americans have a right to carry a handgun outside their home for self-defense.
Adam Kraut of the Second Amendment Foundation, a plaintiff in the Minnesota case, said there are many people ages 18 to 20 who want a handgun for self-defense. “It’s encouraging to see yet another court correctly apply the nation’s history and tradition and come to that conclusion,” Kraut said. In March 2023, U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez struck down the Minnesota law. Minnesota argued to the appeals court that people under the age of 21 aren’t competent to make responsible decisions with guns and that they pose a danger to themselves and others. The appeals court said the state didn’t provide enough evidence to support that claim. It also said the Second Amendment doesn’t specify an age limit, so all adults should be protected. If Minnesota’s ban is lifted, 10 states and D.C. will still require its residents to be 21 or older to publicly possess a handgun, says the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.