Washington state’s Jason Cazes is unilaterally raising the age for long gun purchases at his store to 21-years-old and older.
As in Florida, the legal age to buy a long gun in Washington state is 18, while the legal age for handgun purchases is 21. Cazes says his store policy will require a minimum age of 21 for handgun and long gun sales going forward.
According to CNN, Cazes describes his new policy as a “proactive” step that can be taken in the wake of the February 14 attack on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. He said, “I would like to be proactive rather than reactive because the reactive solutions that we come up with don’t work.”
He spoke in favor of gun control legislation, addressing the age at which someone can buy a long gun: “Currently the handgun age is 21. And it has an FBI check and a state check. But the long gun age, which includes ARs, is only an FBI check. It doesn’t have a state check, and the age issue is also another problem. So I would say let’s meet in the middle and say let’s get this age thing fixed. And put it into a bill.”
But he did not voice support for gun control that goes beyond raising the age for long gun purchases. In fact, he said, “There’s no button we can push magically to get rid of all guns. Some people think that’s some option we have, and it’s not.”
Ironically, Cazes also told CNN that the AR-15 is his go-to weapon for self-defense, saying, “That’s my weapon of choice for defending myself and my family.”