We are young adults in Virginia seeking to challenge the United States federal ban which infringes on our right to purchase common handguns and ammunition from federally licensed firearm dealers (FFLs). We are college students and recent high school graduates between the ages of 18-20 residing in Central Virginia. The federal laws currently allow us to purchase rifles and shotguns from FFLs, but not pistols. Several states are now passing legislation to raise the age to purchase these other firearms. We want to have the ability to purchase handguns, as they are the most traditional forms of self-defense, given their portability, size, and ease to which young men and women can be trained.

Our plaintiffs include local university students and recent high school graduates who are well-versed in firearms training. We would rather not have to find family members or friends to purchase these firearms, especially because we want to avoid any sort of "straw man" purchase (which is understandably illegal). The current laws are overbroad, irrational, and have created a system with perverse incentives. We're already permitted to own these handguns but cannot purchase them through the more prevalent FFLs, which are regulated. Instead, we are left to a more scarce and unregulated private market where there are no background checks, no records, and no accountability. Meanwhile, we continue to have the ability to purchase higher-powered weapons such as shotguns and rifles from these FFLs. We want to be able to purchase and own pistols rather than be limited to the larger weapons which serve different purposes. The law must be struck down so we can defend ourselves.

Finally, these funds are simply going to assist in covering our attorney's fees and costs of litigation. None of these funds will be used for personal benefit.