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Gun Owners of America and 2A Allies Challenge Massachusetts’ Unconstitutional Ban on Firearms for 18- to 20-Year-Olds<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n February 14, 2025<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Washington, D.C.<\/span><\/b> \u2014 <\/span>Gun Owners of America (GOA), Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), the National Rifle Association (NRA), the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), Gun Owners Action League (GOAL), and Commonwealth Second Amendment (Comm2A), alongside plaintiff Mack Escher, have <\/span>filed a lawsuit<\/span><\/a> challenging Massachusetts\u2019 unconstitutional restrictions on 18- to 20-year-old adults possessing, purchasing, or carrying semiautomatic firearms and handguns. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, argues that the state\u2019s laws violate the Second and Fourteenth Amendments by infringing upon the constitutional rights of young adults.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Under H.B. 4885, Massachusetts has enacted a law that completely bans 18-to-20-year-olds from <\/span>acquiring, possessing, or carrying semiautomatic firearms and handguns, leaving them defenseless and stripping them of their fundamental rights. The plaintiffs argue that this ban has no historical precedent and directly contradicts Supreme Court rulings that affirm the Second Amendment\u2019s protection of firearms for self-defense. \u00a0And as the complaint makes clear, historically, <\/span>18-year-olds were even <\/span>required <\/span><\/i>to keep and bear the same sort of common firearms that older citizens owned.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n GOA and its 2A allies are seeking a court order declaring the law unconstitutional, a permanent injunction against its enforcement, and an award for attorney’s fees and costs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Erich Pratt, Senior Vice President of GOA, issued the following statement:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “The government has no right to pick and choose which Americans can exercise their Second Amendment rights. Massachusetts\u2019 unconstitutional ban on young adults owning firearms for self-defense is an egregious attack on the rights of law-abiding citizens. If an 18-year-old can serve in the military, vote, and enter contracts, they absolutely have the right to defend themselves. GOA will fight to ensure this unconstitutional law is struck down.”<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Sam Paredes, Gun Owners of America Board Member, added:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “This lawsuit is about holding Massachusetts accountable for violating the Second Amendment. There is no historical tradition of banning young adults from keeping and bearing arms. This law is just another attempt by anti-gun politicians to strip fundamental rights away from law-abiding citizens. GOA and its allies will not stand by while Massachusetts tramples on the Constitution.”<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n GOA spokesmen are available for interviews. Gun Owners of America is a nonprofit grassroots lobbying organization dedicated to protecting the right to keep and bear arms without compromise. GOA represents over two million members and activists. For more information, visit <\/span>GOA\u2019s Press Center<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n