Supreme Court rejects Minnesota effort to revive ban on young adults from carrying guns
NBCMAY 1
SCOTUS Ends Minnesota's Youth Gun Permit Restrictions
Above: The Chair of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus speaking at a rally for gun rights inside the state capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota on April 27, 2024. Image copyright: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
The age restriction in Minnesota violates the constitutional rights of law-abiding young adults, as the Second Amendment sets no age limit and historically protected ordinary citizens' right to bear arms. People who hold carry permits are overwhelmingly law-abiding, and the state failed to prove that 18-to-20-year-olds pose any special threat.
Democratic narrative
The Supreme Court’s refusal to hear Minnesota’s case doesn’t mean that age limits are wrong — it just delays a conclusive ruling. Letting 18-year-olds carry handguns ignores the clear risks; gun violence is a leading killer of young people, and age-based limits are common-sense protections, not constitutional overreach. States must keep fighting to save lives.