Gun Shop Owner Found Liable for Illegal Gun Sale

Former Milwaukee police officers Graham Kunisch (lef) and Bryan Norberg
who were injured by a gun purchased illegally from Badger Guns

"A jury late Tuesday awarded more than $5 million in damages to two police officers who were severely wounded with a pistol that a (Milwaukee) gun shop sold to a straw buyer in 2009...

...The jury found that the store had been seriously negligent in selling the gun when there were signs that the ostensible purchaser was fronting for an 18-year-old who accompanied him to the store...

...The case arose in May 2009 when Jacob Collins, 21, bought a Taurus semiautomatic pistol at Badger Guns on behalf of Mr. Burton, who was too young to legally purchase a gun.  Mr. Burton helped select the weapon..

...Weeks later, Mr. Burton used the gun to shoot the two Milwaukee police officers.  He is serving 80 years for attempted murder, and Mr. Collins served two years for the illegal purchase...

...Badger Guns' federal firearms license was revoked in 2011 because of repeated violations.  But the 2009 sale to Mr. Collins was not one of those violations, and Judge DiMotto did not allow the jury to hear about the revocation."

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"A videotape shows Burton helping Collins choose the handgun.  In addition, the lawsuit says Collins checked 'no' on a federal firearms transaction form that asked whether he was the actual buyer of the weapon, but changed it to 'yes' after gun store employee told him to change his answer."

eye'm thynkin':  Just one drop in the giant barrel of illegal gun sales in this country; but I'll take it.

Read more at The New York Times  
and Cleveland.com