Catalina Espinosa
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Europe and the EU
Gun laws in the United States - statistics & facts
After a recent assassination attempt against former President and current Republican candidate Donald Trump on July 13th, 2024, American gun policy has again provoked public scrutiny for failing to prevent such acts of armed violence. Prior assassinations of notable political figures President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. resulted in Congress enacting the Gun Control Act (GCA) of 1968. At present, the GCA prevails as the primary legislation for the federal regulation of firearms, responsible for regulating the licensing, transfer, sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition, as well as establishing new categories of firearm-related offenses and restricting certain prohibited people, such as felons, fugitives, the mentally ill, and minors from purchasing a firearm. According to the GCA, U.S. citizens and legal residents must be at least 18 years of age to purchase shotguns, rifles, and ammunition, while all other firearms, including handguns, are restricted for purchase only by people aged 21 and older. Although the federal minimum age to buy a gun cannot be reduced, state or local governments can choose to implement higher age restrictions.
