Mayor Lucas says gun manufacturers should be held accountable for firearms coming into KC
Mayor Quinton Lucas condemned the country’s largest gun makers Friday, saying the manufacturers need to be held accountable for the illegal stream of firearms coming into Kansas City.
More than 70% of the guns connected to violent crime in 2021 were produced by 15 manufacturers, according to an analysis by the Kansas City Police Department.
“We are tired of reacting to legislatures that aren’t willing to do the work to stop gun violence,” Lucas said after meeting with 14 other leaders at a summit held by the Mayors Against Illegal Guns group. “We are tired of waiting for Congress. We are tired of looking for solutions, whether they be in Washington or our state capitols.”
“I don’t want that country for my son and I don’t want that city for my son. We have to do better.”
He pointed to data that showed the majority of guns collected by Kansas City police following a crime over the past two years were manufactured by the 15 largest firearm manufacturers. A survey of 12 cities found the top manufacturer of recovered crime guns was Glock, which accounted for 16.6% of the firearms.
Lucas contends that finding ways to stem the flow of firearms into communities will lean heavily on city leaders.
Kansas City is one of a number of cities, including Baltimore and New York, that have sued manufacturers for violating state or federal gun laws. Lucas referenced this effort as an important step in stopping “bad actors in the industry.”
In January 2020, Kansas City, Illinois and Everytown for Gun Safety sued the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for granting a firearms license to J.A. Industries, a manufacturer that repeatedly broke federal gun law and contributed to gun trafficking.
As a result of the lawsuit, the manufacturer, previously known as Jimenez Arms, had its license revoked earlier this year by the ATF.
Kansas City has suffered 87 homicides so far this year, according to data tracked by The Star, which includes police shootings. The vast majority have been fatal shootings.
