When firearms sold at Maryland gun stores turned up at crime scenes in Washington, D.C., and the surrounding suburbs in 2021, federal prosecutors took action against the man who bought the guns and illegally re-sold them, known as a straw purchaser.
Earlier this week, the attorneys general of Maryland and D.C. moved against other participants in the transactions: the three Montgomery County businesses that sold the firearms in the first place.
The lawsuit against Engage Armament, United Gun Shop and Atlantic Guns is part of a legal strategy aimed at holding gun stores accountable when they sell firearms to straw purchasers. With the suit, Maryland and D.C. joined other communities across the country that have sued over these gun sales.
“We expect gun store owners to be on the front line. They are at the point of sale of every lawful gun transaction,” said Jennifer Donelan, a spokesperson for Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown.
“When they don’t fulfill their duties and responsibilities, bad things happen. Our strategy will continue to be addressing the most egregious of these violations — putting our resources toward enforcement actions that will have the most impact on protecting Marylanders’ safety.”