Faced with the resurgence of murderous shootings perpetrated in particular by young people under the age of 20, the legislators of the State of New York have passed a bill raising to 21 the minimum age for the acquisition and possession of a semi-automatic rifle.
They also passed a bill prohibiting civilians from buying body armor unless the individuals work in law enforcement or other specific professions.
Another text was adopted by the legislators relating to the law “red notice” (Red Flag), which in particular allows the courts to temporarily seize the firearms of any person considered to be a danger to themselves or to others.
In a statement following the passage of these new measures, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul said the package of legislation will fill the gaps, give law enforcement the tools they need to prevent easy access to firearms and to end the sale of dangerous weapons to 18 year olds. Ms. Hochul is expected to sign these bills soon.
The passage of these bills comes three weeks following the shooting at a supermarket in the city of Buffalo where an 18-year-old supremacist young man killed ten people.
Shootings remain a recurring scourge in the United States, claiming many victims in a country where the right to own weapons is guaranteed by the Constitution. According to observers, gun crime is on the rise in major cities like New York, Chicago, Miami or San Francisco, especially since the 2020 pandemic.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden had called on the US Congress to find a way to restrict the sale of assault rifles and castigated, nearly ten days following the massacre of 19 children and two teachers in a school in Texas, elected Republicans who oppose it.
“How much more carnage are we willing to accept? “, protested the American president, repeating, during an address to the nation from the White House, to have “enough” of these repeated shootings which mourn America.