Georgia prohibits the possession or control of a handgun by any person under age This prohibition does not apply if the underage person is:
- Attending a hunter education course or a firearms safety course;
- Engaging in practice in the use of a firearm or target shooting at an established range authorized by the governing body of the jurisdiction where such range is located;
- Engaging in an organized competition involving the use of a firearm or participating in or practicing for a performance by an organized non-profit group that uses firearms as a part of such performance;
- Hunting or fishing pursuant to a valid license if such person has in his or her possession a valid hunting or fishing license if required; is engaged in legal hunting or fishing; has permission of the owner of the land on which the activities are being conducted; and the handgun, whenever loaded, is carried only in an open and fully exposed manner; or
- Traveling to or from any of the aforementioned activities, if the handgun is not loaded.
In addition, this prohibition does not apply if the person under age 18 is:
- On real property under the control of his or her parent, legal guardian, or grandparent and who has the permission of the parent or legal guardian to possess a handgun; or[Note: No way for parent to check up on when, where and how the child us using the gun]
- At his or her residence and possesses a handgun while exercising rights authorized by Georgia provisions regarding the justified use of force against another with the permission of his or her parent or legal guardian.
No person may intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly sell or furnish a handgun to a minor (person under the age of 18 years).However, a parent or legal guardian may permit possession of a handgun by a minor for the purposes specified above.
There is no minimum age requirement to possess rifles and shotguns in Georgia. Federal age restrictions impose stricter limits.
- “Unlicensed persons (meaning a parent or friend, among others) may sell, deliver, or otherwise transfer a long gun or long gun ammunition to a person of any age.” This means that it’s perfectly legal for a parent to give any child an assault rifle.
So, here we have a 14 year old who had clearly made online threats to shoot up a school. When confronted with it, his father evidently brushed it off and then gave his son an assault rifle six months later. No authorities followed up with this child. There was no effort to get the boy into counseling. The father clearly did nothing to look out for his son. I would not be at all surprised if the father was a Second Amendment nut. The result? Four people dead, 2 children and two young adults. As for the (alleged) shooter: He’ll be tried as an adult which almost certainly means he’ll get life in prison without the chance for parole. This when it’s been proven that at 14 years old a person’s brain is far from fully developed. Meanwhile, the father will be tried and possibly convicted. Good. How about those criminals who have made it legal for a 14 year old to possess an assault rifle?