Chicago is aiming at gun manufacturer Glock, firing off a landmark lawsuit accusing the company of aiding in the creation of illegal machine guns on the city's streets. The suit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, targets Glock for its semiautomatic pistols that the city claims can too easily be rigged into fully automatic firepower with the use of so-called "Glock switches." This legal battle is the first to pull the trigger utilizing Illinois's newly minted Firearms Industry Responsibility Act, designed to hold gun companies liable when their products are misused in ways that threaten public safety.
According to officials, over 1,100 Glocks converted to machine guns have been seized in Chicago over the past two years. These modified weapons have been linked to a spate of crimes, including murder and kidnapping. "The City of Chicago is encountering a deadly new frontier in the gun violence plaguing our communities," said Mayor Brandon Johnson, as per a city press release. The lawsuit is intent on making Glock pay for what the city alleges is negligence in allowing its firearms to be misused.
"Right now, anyone in the United States with $20 and a screwdriver can convert their Glock pistol into an illegal machine gun in just a few minutes," Eric Tirschwell of Everytown Law told the press. In supporting the city's offensive, the ATF has highlighted a disturbing uptick in illegally modified machine guns, reporting a staggering 570-percent increase in auto sears recoveries in five years.
Glock's pistol design has been under particular scrutiny, with the lawsuit citing the ease with which these firearms can be turned into something more deadly. "Gun manufacturers like Glock must be held accountable for the irresponsible decision to continue selling firearms that can be easily modified and converted into weapons of war," Deputy Mayor of Community Safety Garien Gatewood asserted. The legal action seeks to force Glock to halt sales of pistols susceptible to such modifications to Chicago civilians and also purports to extract penalties for damages the city claims have arisen from Glock's alleged inaction.
This legal salvo signals a major step in the fight against gun violence for a city desperately trying to come to grips with its persistent scourge. With the combined forces of Chicago's administration, Everytown Law, and the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, the city is locked and loaded for a courtroom showdown. The lawsuit underscores the tensions between the rights of gun manufacturers and the responsibilities they bear in the face of rising gun crimes, a debate undoubtedly primed to echo beyond the Windy City's borders.
