Stores increasing age requirement to buy guns raises legal questions

The last year saw a major surge in attempts to raise the minimum age for gun purchases, raising legal questions that have yet to be firmly answered.

The push for a higher age intensified after the Valentine’s Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which spurred states and some companies — including Dick’s Sporting Goods and Walmart — to impose a 21-year-old minimum age to purchase firearms.

Gun-rights advocates say the age of adulthood is 18 and, given the Second Amendment’s guarantee of a right to bear arms, any attempt to limit young adults amounts to illegal discrimination.

Tristin Fulton, 18, of Michigan, put that to the test, suing Dick’s in March after the store would not allow him to buy a shotgun.

That case recently was “resolved,” according to James Makowski, an attorney for Mr. Fulton.

Mr. Makowski declined to go into detail about the case itself, but said age is a protected class under Michigan’s anti-discrimination laws.

A spokesman for Walmart says the retail giant is confident in its age policy and feels it’s on solid legal and constitutional footing.

“We stand behind our decision, and we’re going to continue with that position,” said spokesman Randy Hargrove.

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