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NRA Drops Appeal Over Anonymity of Gun Owners in Florida Case

NRA Drops Appeal Over Anonymity of Gun Owners in Florida Case

(Bloomberg) -- The National Rifle Association has dropped its appeal of a ruling that prevented two gun enthusiasts from remaining anonymous as part of the organization’s lawsuit challenging a Florida gun-control law.

The NRA sued Florida in March 2018 after the Republican-led legislature raised the age for buying guns to 21 from 18 in response to the massacre at a high school in Parkland, Florida, where 17 died. The NRA wanted two 19-year-olds to be part of the lawsuit, but didn’t want their identities disclosed out of fear for their safety because of increased threats received by the gun-rights organization.

A federal judge in Florida denied the request for anonymity, and the NRA appealed. But on Nov. 15, the organization asked the federal appeals court in Atlanta for permission to withdraw the 18-month-old appeal without giving an explanation, records show. Arguments in the matter had been set for next month.

The underlying lawsuit in federal court in Tallahassee, Florida, is still pending.

To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Larson in New York at elarson4@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Steve Stroth

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