Survivors of two mass shootings in Florida are urgently demanding that Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature reject efforts to lower the minimum age for purchasing firearms to 18, and we stand with them.

Jaclyn Corin, a survivor of the 2018 Parkland shooting and a founder of March For Our Lives, along with other Florida State University students who survived the recent shooting on their campus, are leading this fight. Having already lived through the unimaginable terror of mass gun violence, they are now speaking out to prevent further tragedies.

The law that raised the minimum age for purchasing firearms to 21 was passed after the Parkland shooting, which claimed 17 lives. Survivors like Corin argue that this law has saved countless others and that rolling it back would only put more lives at risk. The recent shooting at FSU, where a 20-year-old opened fire, is a stark reminder of the need for stronger protections, not weaker ones.

As Corin stated, "There is no doubt that that law has saved lives over the past seven years, and now it’s ironic that this is the very law being threatened in the aftermath of a second school shooting."

We urge Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature to reject this dangerous proposal and prioritize the safety of Floridians. Lowering the gun purchasing age would only increase the risk of future shootings. Now is the time to protect our communities and ensure no more lives are lost to gun violence.

Photo: AP/Gerard Herbert