City's Lawsuit Against Gun Dealers, Manufacturers Allowed to Proceed

By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Senior Editor
October 26, 2006

An Indiana judge ruled Tuesday that the city of Gary may proceed with its lawsuit against 16 gun manufacturers and six Indiana gun dealers, a gun-control group reported.

The case, which dates back to 1999, stems from a police sting of six Indiana gun dealers accused of selling firearms to undercover officers posing as straw purchasers.

The city of Gary also sued major gun manufacturers that sold handguns through the dealerships, accusing them of profiting from the diversion of guns to criminals, said the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

"This is an important victory for the citizens of Gary and the people of Indiana, who have long suffered from the steady supply of illegal guns from rogue gun dealers operating in our state," said Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Center and the former mayor of Fort Wayne, Ind.

"The gun pushers have long sought to avoid accountability for supplying the highly-profitable underground market. Hopefully, this ruling will lead to the gun pushers being held just as accountable as other industries who violate the law."

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