DALLAS (AP) — A federal judge has struck down one of Texas' few remaining firearm restrictions, finding a law that barred adults under the age of 21 from carrying a handgun was unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman in Fort Worth on Thursday ruled that the state law prohibiting most 18- to 20-year-olds from carrying a handgun outside the home violates the Second Amendment right to bear arms and cannot be enforced. He stayed the ruling from taking effect for 30 days.
The decision came in a case brought last year by a gun rights advocacy group and a man and woman who argued they should be able to carry handguns for protection despite being under 21. They sued five months after Texas removed one of its last major gun restrictions, allowing people over 21 to carry handguns without a license, background check or training.
