According to Statista Research Department (July, 2024), "The share of American households owning at least one firearm has remained relatively steady since 1972, hovering between 37% and 47%. In 2023, about 42% of U.S. households had at least one gun in their possession." The Pew Research Center reports that "(72%) say protection is a major reason they own a gun. Considerably smaller shares say that a major reason they own a gun is for hunting (32%), for sport shooting (30%), as part of a gun collection (15%) or for their job (7%)." 

We read of school shootings by minor children, sometimes using a semi-automatic weapon. In lieu of the moral dilemmas posed by providing a minor with a semi-automatic weapon, the focus of this article is on a case of first impression heard earlier this year by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals: In Re: The State of Texas For the Best Interest and Protection of J.M.P. Jr. Thirty years ago, J.M.P. Jr. had been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility for a week to 10 days. His ability to purchase a hunting rifle as an adult, long past any mental health issues, was in question.