The 18-year-old gunman who killed 19 children in Uvalde, Texas used an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle he bought days prior. Utah Sen. Derek Kitchen, D-Salt Lake City, proposes increasing the age of eligibility for firearm purchase from 18 to 21. At least 21 school shootings in 2022 have been perpetrated by assailants under the age of 21. Utah has the 14th-weakest gun control laws in the country, and recently passed “constitutional carry” laws and closed loopholes for counties to require background checks for some gun purchases.