Philadelphia has announced that it recently reached a settlement with two of the largest firearm component suppliers in the country, both of which have agreed to temporarily halt the sale of their products in the city and other parts of Pennsylvania.According to The Associated Press, the city’s complaint accused the two defendants—Polymer80, and JSD Supply—of perpetuating violent crime by manufacturing and selling parts, and assembly plans, for “ghost guns.”Ghost guns, a type of self-constructed and largely untraceable firearm typically made with 3-D printing tools, have been used in a growing number of homicides and other violent crimes nationwide.“Ghost guns fuel and cause harm to Philadelphians,” Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said in a statement. “This settlement agreement reached by our city Law Department under Solicitor Renee Garcia, her team, and our external legal partners means that the two largest manufacturers and distributors of ghost gun parts can no longer distribute or market them in Philadelphia. That’s a huge win for our public safety efforts.”

Do not cross police barricade tape close-up photography; image by David von Diemar, via Unsplash.com.

Attorneys for the city had earlier claimed that both defendants engaged in “reckless business practices […] that threatened public safety.”“The gun industry must be held accountable when it breaks the law and endangers Americans,” said Giffords Law Center legal director David Pucino.Giffords Law Center, which represented Philadelphia in its lawsuit, said that the two companies had agreed to settle the lawsuit.Under the terms of the settlement, JSD Supply will cease the sale of all products in Pennsylvania for at least four years. Polymer80, meanwhile, agreed to a similar four-year ban on sales to customers in Philadelphia and nearby counties, including those of Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, and Northampton.Polymer80 will also pay an additional $1.3 million in compensation, which Philadelphia officials saying that the money will be directed to local initiatives against gun violence.City Solicitor Renee Garcia said that ghost gun retailers—including both defendants—facilitate violence by giving young offenders and convicted criminals an opportunity to obtain firearms without undergoing a background check.“Polymer80 Inc. and JSD Supply sell ghost gun kits that can be used to assemble an unserialized, fully functioning firearm in minutes, without conducting a background check. The kits are accessible to people who are not legally permitted to carry a gun, including children, and the consequences in our communities have been devastating,” Garcia said. “We are grateful to reach this resolution to hold these companies accountable and stop them from marketing and selling to consumers in Philadelphia. The Law Department will continue to use every legal tool available to stop the flow of crime guns into our communities.”“These weapons have ended up in the hands of our youth and individuals who are not otherwise permitted to possess a firearm, and the consequences in our communities have been devastating,” Garcia said.

Sources

Lawsuit settled: 2 top US gun parts makers agree to temporarily halt sales in PhiladelphiaCity of Philadelphia Announces Settlement Agreement in Lawsuit Against Primary Distributors of Ghost Guns, Polymer80, Inc. and JSD SupplyPhiladelphia reaches settlement in case against 2 large suppliers of ghost guns