The ruling Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge Robert Payne in Richmond, if not overturned, would allow dealers to sell handguns to 18- to 20-year-olds.
In his 71-page ruling, Payne wrote that many of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship are granted at the age of 18, including the right to vote, enlist in the military without parental permission and serve on a federal jury.
“If the Court were to exclude 18-to-20-year-olds from the Second Amendment’s protection, it would impose limitations on the Second Amendment that do not exist with other constitutional guarantees,” Payne wrote.
“Because the statutes and regulations in question are not consistent with our Nation’s history and tradition, they, therefore, cannot stand,” he wrote.
The Washington Post, which first reported the new opinion, indicated that the Justice Department (DOJ) is expected to appeal the ruling.
According to that media outlet, individuals under 21years are still not allowed to purchase firearms from licensed federal firearms dealers before a final order has been entered in the case.
This ruling comes days after President Joe Biden again called on Congress to pass an assault weapons ban in the wake of the latest mass shooting that left nine dead in Dallas, Texas, last weekend.
“I once again call for Congress to send me a bill that would ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Enact background checks and end immunity for gun manufacturers. I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe,” he said.
The gun violence numbers seem unstoppable in the United States, where in just three and a half months since the start of the year, nearly 160 mass shootings have occurred, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
A Kaiser Family Foundation survey revealed that concern and fear of gun violence is widespread nationwide, with most families having been affected by a gun-related incident.
Statistics showed that one in five adults has had a loved one killed by a gun, including homicide and suicide, reported CNN, warning that these lethal trends are part of an epidemic of violence in the country.
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