By: José Niño
The city of Philadelphia is colluding with civilian disarmament organization Everytown for Gun Safety to sue three gun stores in the metro area. According to John Crump of AmmoLand, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney announced this move earlier this month as these anti-gun forces are targeting the following stores:
- Delia’s Gun Shop
- Frank’s Gun Shop & Shooting Range
- Tanner’s Sport Center
Kenney asserted that these gun merchants knowingly provided firearms to criminals and minors via straw purchases. Furthermore, the Philadelphia mayor blamed these gun stores for engaging in “illegal activities” for the purpose of monetary gain. There have been no criminal charges pressed against the stores’ owners or those employed there. Crump also noted that no evidence has been provided demonstrating that the stores knowingly facilitated straw purchases. Most importantly, this is a civil suit and not a criminal suit.
The lawsuit was filed in the Court of Common Pleas. It asserted that 158 firearms obtained from the stores via straw purchases were used in crimes that took place between 2015 and 2019. In addition, the lawsuit also claimed that the stores should have been able to detect the straw purchases owing to how the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) “trained” the store owners.
The city is urging the court to mandate the stores put the clamps on straw purchases and give the city “financial compensation to address the harms caused by gun violence in our communities, which has been facilitated by the illegal activities of the vendors named in the lawsuit,” per a press release that Mayor Kenney sent to media members.
On paper, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) shields gun stores from legal action connected to criminals using guns obtained from the shops. However, Crump noted that this law features a loophole. Namely, it does not protect the stores from being sued for illegal activity or gross negligence. Civilian disarmament groups have sponsored continuing legal education (CLE) classes to teach lawyers on how to sue gun manufacturers and merchants by relying on this loophole.
This new unholy alliance being forged by anti-gun organizations and sympathetic cities is just the latest attempt by Gun Control Inc. to undermine gun rights. The goal here is to sue gun stores and manufacturers into oblivion, thereby depriving people of viable venues to acquire lawful firearms.
The Philadelphia lawsuit just further demonstrates the importance of people getting more involved in local politics. After all, it’s these areas where petty tyrants get their careers started.
José Niño is a freelance writer based in Austin, Texas. Contact him via Facebook, Twitter, or email him at [email protected]. Get his e-book, The 10 Myths of Gun Control, here.