Three gun stores in the vicinity of Washington, D.C., are facing legal action for allegedly selling around three dozen firearms to an individual who trafficked the weapons. A lawsuit was jointly filed by the attorneys general for Maryland and Washington, D.C. At least nine of the firearms have been recovered from crime scenes or individuals with warrants for violent offenses, according to D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb. Many other guns remain unaccounted for, contributing to the proliferation of illegal weapons in the city.
The lawsuit accuses the stores of disregarding warning signs that the firearms would be unlawfully resold to others through bulk and repetitive purchases, also known as straw purchasing. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown highlighted the connection between the illegal sale of firearms and the gun violence plaguing the region. The legal action, initiated in part by the gun safety group Everytown Law, marks the first joint filing of its kind and follows similar civil suits against gun retailers in various parts of the country.
In recent years, Washington, D.C., has grappled with a surge in gun-related violence, recording the highest number of homicides in over three decades last year, with more than 90% of these crimes involving firearms. Schwalb emphasized that the influx of illegal weapons is partially fueled by straw purchasing, with data indicating that a majority of guns retrieved in Washington, D.C., originate from neighboring Maryland or Virginia.
The lawsuit alleges that the three gun stores named – Engage Armament LLC, United Gun Shop, and Atlantic Guns, Inc. in Montgomery County, Maryland – collectively sold nearly three dozen firearms to Demetrius Minor in 2021. These firearms were subsequently trafficked to individuals prohibited from purchasing firearms legally. Minor, who pleaded guilty to firearms trafficking charges and received an 18-month prison sentence, was involved in the illegal distribution of these weapons.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and legal measures to prevent future instances of straw purchasing. The three gun stores have not yet issued statements in response to the legal action taken against them.
