Under Connecticut law at the time,Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-3(18) (2011) (defining "'pistol' or 'revolver'" as "any firearm having a barrel less than twelve inches"); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29–34(b) (banning any transfer of a pistol or revolver to a person under 21, except for temporary and supervised use at a target range) the 20-year-old Lanza was old enough to carry a long gun, such as a rifle or shotgun, but too young to own or carry handguns. The guns he used had been purchased legally by his mother.
