The father of a Parkland school shooting victim is speaking out after the Florida House passed a bill to lower the minimum age for purchasing a firearm from 21 to 18.
Manny Oliver, whose son Joaquin was one of 17 people killed in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, unveiled a mural in Washington, D.C., urging lawmakers to strengthen, not weaken, gun laws.
“It’s a mile away from the White House and a couple of blocks away from the state capitol and it’s a permanent graphic that will remind our politicians, legislators and people in general that we need to change,” Oliver said.
Parkland parents push for stricter gun laws
Oliver named the mural We Demand Change, calling for a ban on assault weapons and other gun restrictions he believes could have saved his son’s life.
“A ban on assault weapons would be nice. If we had that, Joaquin would be alive. Raising the age would be nice. If we had that, Joaquin would be alive,” he said.
Following the Parkland shooting, Florida lawmakers passed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas School Safety Act, which raised the minimum gun purchase age from 18 to 21. But the new bill, passed by the Florida House, would reverse that decision, something Oliver strongly opposes.
“It’s not a good idea, my friend. It’s not a good idea having 18-year-olds purchasing guns—not able to purchase a beer, not able to do many things,” he said.
DeSantis backs lowering gun purchase age
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signaled support for lowering the minimum age, referencing the issue in his recent State of the State address.
“I would ask you to protect people’s Second Amendment rights. Look back in instances where legislation may have been passed in recent years, such as shifting the burden in red flag laws, such as taking away the rights of young adults to be able to purchase firearms,” DeSantis said.
CBS News Miami reached out to Senate Majority Leader Jim Boyd and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, who signed the original 2018 bill into law as governor. Boyd’s office said he was unavailable for comment, while Scott’s office did not respond.
According to Everytown Research and Policy, Florida is one of only eight states that currently have a minimum gun purchase age of 21.
Oliver hopes his mural will serve as a lasting message to lawmakers.
“You see how politicians could write down a bill and then they’ll destroy it seven years later,” he said.
