A Florida appeals court has ruled that the state’s ban on concealed carry by adults ages 18 to 20 violates the Second Amendment, finding that young adults are entitled to the same constitutional protections as law-abiding adults over the age of 20.

Background of the Case

The case stemmed from the 2024 arrest of Jaylen Eubanks, who was 18 at the time. According to the opinion, officers responding to a report of a person displaying a handgun detained Eubanks and found an unholstered semi-automatic rifle on his waist. He was charged with carrying a concealed firearm and improper exhibition of a firearm.

Eubanks challenged the concealed-carry charge, arguing Florida’s age restriction violated the Second Amendment. The restriction was enacted following the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, where 17 people were killed.

Court Ruling

The court said adults ages 18 to 20 are among ‘the people’ protected by the Second Amendment and that Florida failed to identify a historical tradition supporting the restriction. The panel also pointed to founding-era militia laws requiring many 18-year-old men to serve while bearing arms.

‘That young adults had to serve in the militia indicates that founding-era lawmakers believed those youth could, and indeed should, keep and bear arms,’ the opinion states.

The court rejected arguments that concerns about firearm misuse among younger adults justified the restriction, saying Florida failed to identify a historical tradition supporting the law and that adults ages 18 to 20 could not be treated like categories historically subject to firearm restrictions, such as felons or the mentally ill.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.