Kansas City Takes on Gun Dealers in Landmark Lawsuit
Kansas City has scored a significant win in its fight against gun violence by settling a lawsuit against one of the gun dealers accused of contributing to the rise in gun crimes. The city had accused CR Sales Firearms of ignoring evidence that firearms were being sold illegally and contributing to the public nuisance of gun trafficking in the area.
Mayor Quinton Lucas has hailed the settlement as “an important step” in reducing the flow of illegal guns into the city, which has one of the highest homicide rates in the US. The lawsuit, which was filed in 2020, was backed by Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, making it the first of its kind against the gun industry in more than a decade.
The settlement requires CR Sales Firearms to pay $150,000 in damages to the city, submit to extra monitoring and train staff on how to identify a straw purchase. This is when someone legally purchases a gun to sell it to someone who cannot legally possess guns. The store has denied the allegations and made no admission of liability.
The lawsuit also named James Samuels, a former Kansas City firefighter who has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for illegally selling guns, as the ringleader of the gun trafficking operation. The suit claimed that several gun manufacturers and dealers, including Nevada-based Jimenez Arms, ignored evidence that Samuels was breaking federal gun laws.
The lawsuit highlights the important role that gun dealers can play in preventing illegal gun sales and gun trafficking. Gun safety advocates hope that this landmark case will encourage other cities to take action against gun dealers who contribute to the public nuisance of gun trafficking.
