The capital of the nation is facing a severe surge in gun violence. Prosecutors are targeting three federally licensed gun retailers located in Maryland.

On Tuesday, the attorneys general of Maryland and Washington D.C. initiated a lawsuit against three gun shops for supplying weapons to a straw purchaser. These stores were previously flagged as the leading sellers of guns recovered from crime scenes in Maryland during a specific period, according to a report commissioned by the Maryland attorney general’s office.

The legal action claims that these three stores, located in Montgomery County—approximately 25 miles northwest of D.C.—sold 34 semiautomatic pistols to a single buyer within six months. Out of these, only two guns are still in that person’s possession, while the remainder is presumed to have been trafficked, prosecutors stated.

Some of these firearms have been linked to individuals involved in violent crimes such as assaults, stabbings, and drug trafficking, while many others remain missing, as noted in the lawsuit.

“Gun dealers who are federally licensed must understand the law and recognize signs of potential illegal trafficking. This lawsuit is intended to illustrate that these dealers cannot disregard these warning signs while prioritizing their profits,” stated Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown. “This should alert other dealers who endanger public safety for profit: we are monitoring you and will take action against illegal activities that contribute to gun violence in our area.”

This lawsuit emerges during a time when public health experts and advocates for gun safety express growing concerns about the prevalence of gun violence across the country—guns are presently the main cause of death among children in the U.S. and result in nearly 50,000 fatalities annually. Other states, including New Jersey, Michigan, and Philadelphia, have also initiated lawsuits targeting gun sellers and traffickers implicated in gun-related crimes.

Lawsuit: A person acquired 34 firearms in six months

According to the lawsuit filed in Montgomery County Circuit Court, three federally licensed gun shops—Engage Armament, United Gun Shop, and Atlantic Guns—sold 34 firearms to Demetrius Minor, identified as a clear straw buyer, between April 6 and October 5, 2021.

Records from Engage Armament show that Minor spent over $31,000 at the store for at least 25 firearms. In July 2021 alone, he visited the store multiple times and purchased five guns, prosecutors reported.

The lawsuit claims that Minor distributed many of the firearms to a relative, Donald Willis, a D.C. resident with a history of violent felonies. The lawsuit indicates that Willis then passed the guns along to other “dangerous individuals.” Minor has already been convicted for his involvement in these illegal sales. However, the lawsuit emphasizes that the stores involved—who allegedly prioritized profit over safety—have not faced repercussions for their significant role in perpetuating gun violence in the D.C. metro area.

At least nine of the firearms that the lawsuit alleges were sold illegally have been discovered at crime scenes in D.C. and nearby Maryland suburbs. “Many more are likely in the possession of individuals prohibited from owning firearms and may be used in future crimes,” declared the lawsuit.

The legal filing discusses a required federal form for firearm purchases—the ATF firearms transaction record—which helps determine whether a sale is legitimate. This form highlights that straw purchasing is illegal, indicating that the firearm must be acquired by the individual who legally purchased it. Additionally, it states that the seller is responsible for adhering to legal sale regulations, and merely conducting a background check does not fulfill this responsibility.

The lawsuit also points out that in addition to straw purchases being illegal, it is unlawful for a firearm dealer to facilitate illegal sales, as federal law mandates licensed dealers to report any unlicensed buyer who acquires two or more handguns within five days.

Atlantic Guns denied the allegations of straw sales in a statement provided to YSL News on Tuesday.

“Atlantic Guns, Inc. has always adhered to the law and never knowingly sold firearms to anyone suspected of engaging in a straw purchase,” the store stated, opting not to provide further comments until they review the lawsuit.

Engage Armament and United Gun Shop did not respond immediately to requests for comments from YSL News.

Cities and states across the U.S. are targeting sellers in the fight against gun violence

The lawsuit filed on Tuesday is part of a broader trend where cities, along with victims of gun violence, are increasingly holding firearm retailers and traffickers accountable in their fight against gun violence.

In July of last year, Philadelphia filed a lawsuit against three vendors identified as sources of over 1,300 crime guns from 2015 to 2019, which were linked to various criminal activities including shootings, home invasions, and drug-related offenses.

Earlier this year, three men from Missouri faced charges for allegedly selling firearms to individuals who fired shots during the Super Bowl victory parade, resulting in the death of a mother and injuries to over 20 others.

In Michigan, the parents of a 14-year-old victim from the 2021 Oxford High School tragedy named a gun retailer as one of the defendants in their lawsuit.

A lawsuit has been filed claiming that Acme Shooting Goods sold the firearm used in a tragic school shooting that resulted in the deaths of four individuals and injuries to seven others. The lawsuit states that Acme sold the weapon to the father of the shooter while disregarding obvious signs that it was a straw purchase.

In July 2023, a gun shop in northern Indiana, which law enforcement identified as a significant supplier of illegal firearms in Chicago, announced its closure. This followed a lawsuit from Chicago in 2021 alleging a pattern of unlawful gun sales by Westforth Sports.

An investigation by YSL News earlier this year revealed that most firearms utilized in crimes come from a limited number of gun shops across the nation. Specifically, two gun stores in Maryland named in the recent lawsuit—United and Atlantic—were listed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as having sold at least 25 guns that were later traced to crimes within a year and purchased in the last three years.

Contributors: Nick Penzenstadler and Grace Hauck, YSL News