PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The city of Philadelphia has filed a lawsuit against three gun shops, alleging they’ve repeatedly engaged in illegal straw purchases that have contributed to violent crime.
The city is suing Frank’s Gun Shop and Delia’s Gun Shop in the Northeast Philadelphia and Tanner’s Sports Center in Jamison, Bucks County, arguing their role in straw purchases—when someone buys a gun on behalf of a person, such as a felon, who’s not permitted to buy one—has cost the city millions of dollars.
Mayor Jim Kenney says the lawsuit is an attempt to impose consequences.
“They’re profiting off the mayhem they help create,” Kenney said. “And if their conscience and regard for human life will not guide their choices, then we must appeal to the courts and appeal to the pockets they put their money in to give it up.”
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In four years, police have recovered 1,300 guns, traced to the three stores, that were used in crimes, said the mayor. That includes 158 guns that were verified as straw purchases.
Alla Lefkowitz of partner litigant Every Town Law says the stores are regularly trained to spot straw purchases, looking for signs such as bulk purchases and the same person buying the same gun repeatedly.
“These defendants repeatedly sold guns to purchasers even in the face of these obvious indicators,” Lefkowitz said.
This is the second lawsuit aiming at illegal gun sales that the city has filed this month. Earlier, it sued makers of the parts for home-made guns, known as “ghost” guns.
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