Gov. Hochul calls on lawmakers to raise age to buy certain guns

Gov. Hochul wants to change the age to buy a semi-automatic weapon like an AR-15 style rifle from 18 to 21 years old.

News 12 Staff

May 26, 2022, 10:01 AM

Updated 928 days ago

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Gov. Kathy Hochul is calling on state lawmakers to raise the age to buy certain guns following the deadly mass shooting in Texas.
Hochul says the gunmen in both Texas and Buffalo were 18 and used semi-automatic weapons. Hochul wants to change the age to buy a semi-automatic weapon like an AR-15 style rifle from 18 to 21 years old.
The governor raised the question, how can an 18-year-old buy an AR-15 when they are not even old enough to buy a legal drink?
Hochul also convened an emergency meeting of the state's School Safety Improvement Team, which was created after the Sandy Hook shooting to make sure everything possible is being done to keep school's safe.
"Do you think 18-year-olds should be able to buy guns? No way! No possible way," says commuter Bob Cassidy. "When I was a kid, you couldn't buy a beer at 18 let alone a gun. What's happening to the world? What was going on you need more proof kids' brains aren't developed yet into adults to make decisions like whether I should kill someone or not."
The governor's proposed law would also require all police agencies to report guns they recover to a shared database within 24 hours to allow investigators to see if a gun or bullets had been used in other crimes.
This comes after Hochul already introduced measures to fight domestic terrorism, strengthen gun laws and hold social media accountable.
Hochul is also calling other governors to follow New York in its effort to raise the age to buy a semi-automatic weapon.