Chicago officials recently filed a lawsuit against the firearm manufacturer Glock, claiming that the company is responsible for making it easier to use a “Glock switch” to convert semiautomatic handguns into a full-auto pistol.
Chicago sues Glock, alleging company facilitates proliferation of machine guns in city https://t.co/2lkMZLDzAh
— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) March 19, 2024
Officials in the Windy City are reportedly partnering with Everytown for Gun Safety — a pro-gun control organization affiliated with Michael Bloomberg — in the lawsuit.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s (D) office issued a press release, saying the lawsuit “reports that law enforcement personnel in Chicago have recovered over 1,100 Glocks that have been converted into illegal machine guns in the last two years alone in connection with a wide variety of crimes” which included homicides, batteries and burglaries, among others.
The press release from the mayor’s office claims that the lawsuit “alleges that selling a weapon that can be so easily converted to an illegal machine gun and failing to take reasonable steps to prevent or mitigate the problem is an unfair business practice, is negligent, and creates, maintains, and contributes to a public nuisance.”
Johnson commented on the lawsuit, saying that Chicago officials are tackling the issue of “gun violence” in the city by acting against Glock manufacturers. The Democratic mayor pointed out that the sale of firearms that can be converted into fully automatic weapons “makes heinous acts even more deadly.”
“The City of Chicago is encountering a deadly new frontier in the gun violence plaguing our communities because of the increase of fully automatic Glocks on our streets,” Johnson said.
“Selling firearms that can so easily be converted into automatic weapons makes heinous acts even more deadly, so we are doing everything we can in collaboration with others committed to ending gun violence to hold Glock accountable for putting profits over public safety,” he added.
Chicago’s lawsuit against Glock marks the first filed under Illinois’ Firearms Industry Responsibility Act, which was signed by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) in 2023.
Officials in the Windy City, alongside Everytown for Gun Safety, blamed China as one of the main sources for “auto sears,” which is a main component of a “Glock switch,” according to Breitbart News. It is unknown to which extent China is allegedly involved in the process.
