Chicago Sues Glock Manufacturer, Blames Company For Violence Uptick
Chicago is suing Glock Incorporated.
Reuters reports that the city of Chicago filed the suit on Tuesday (March 19) at a circuit court in Cook County, Ill. The gun control-based suit claims that Glock was aware that their auto sear technology, informally known as a “Glock switch,” enables users to switch a pistol from semiautomatic to fully automatic.
Chicago’s legal document alleges that “[Glock] [k]nowingly created, maintained, or contributed to a condition in Illinois that endangers the safety or health of the public by conduct either unlawful in itself or unreasonable under all circumstances.”
The inexpensive equipment allows users to fire up to 1,200 bullets per minute. Chicago law enforcement has allegedly confiscated over 1,100 Glock pistols equipped with the auto sear. The suit alleges that the easily accessible gun modifiers have been commonly linked to violence in the “Windy City.”
Law enforcement works the scene after a mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade on July 4, 2022 in Highland Park, Illinois. Reports indicate at least six people were killed and more than 20 injured in the shooting.
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“Criminals armed with modified Glocks are emboldened because of their military-grade firepower, and they kill and injure more people, increasing the terror felt by ordinary Chicagoans,” the lawsuit continues. “According to one ATF agent, the use of guns equipped with auto sears is ‘one of the scariest things’ the agency has dealt with in decades.”
“While Chicago has long struggled with an epidemic of gun violence, it is unquestionable that the ease of modification of Glocks and the resulting prevalence of Modified Glocks have made the situation worse,” the city’s doc reads.
Under the Protect Illinois Communities Act, assault weapons are banned in the state. Since 2023, merchants have been prohibited from selling AR-15s and other automatic weapons. The suit argues that Glock and its modifications have violated the Protect Illinois Communities Act.
The City of Chicago’s lawsuit seeks a court order preventing Glock from selling modifiers and modified weapons to the general public. They also want to make it more difficult to obtain a “switch.” Additionally, the suit is seeking an undisclosed amount in damages and an order for Glock to forfeit all profits from pistol sales.
People gather for a candelight vigil near the scene of a mass shooting yesterday at a Fourth of July parade, on July 5, 2022 in Highland Park, Illinois. Authorities have charged Robert “Bobby” E. Crimo III, 22, with seven counts of first-degree murder in the attack that also injured 47, according to published reports.
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