House votes to set minimum age of 21 for buying semi-automatic weapons in response to spate of shootings

House lawmakers on Wednesday vote to set the minimum age to buy semi-automatic weapons at 21 in response to a string of high-profile shootings.

The bill has little chance of clearing the Senate as it pursues negotiations focused on improving mental health programs, bolstering school security and enhancing background checks.  

The vote comes after a House committee heard testimony from recent shooting victims and family members, including from 11-year-old girl Miah Cerrillo, who covered herself with a dead classmate’s blood to avoid being shot at the Uvalde elementary school last month.