Cleveland Mayor Wants Law to Ban Anyone Under 21 From Possessing a Firearm

CLEVELAND – Cleveland's mayor called on the state Monday to create a new law that would prohibit anyone under age 21 from possessing a firearm.

Mayor Frank Jackson's proposal followed the shooting death last week of a 12-year-old girl who was hit by a stray bullet as she walked to a corner store. He noted that police statistics from 2004 to 2006 show 70 percent of those arrested for crimes involving firearms were under 28.

Under Ohio law, no one under 18 is permitted to purchase a firearm. A person must be at least 21 to obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon.