City Of Buffalo's Lawsuit Against Gun Industry Slammed As 'Another Tax Grab'

The city of Buffalo filed a lawsuit against the gun industry Tuesday. The "first of its kind" suit comes seven months after Payton Gendron, a 19-year-old White man killed 10 people and wounded 3 at Tops Friendly Markets.

Mayor Byron Brown announced the legal action, naming some of the biggest firearm manufacturers, local shops, and distributors among the defendants. The move has incensed wild reactions on social media, with many harboring the opinion that this act would yield nothing.

The 197-page suit has listed Beretta U.S.A. Corp., Glock, Colt's Manufacturing Company, Big Sauer, Springfield Armory, and Savage Arms among others as defendants, WIVB reports.

The suit states that these organizations collectively have heavily marketed and highlighted the high capacity and easy concealment characteristics of firearms that appeal to people with criminal intent.

According to the lawsuit, there has been a spike in firearm production, more than the legitimate market can bear, to induce sales in the secondary market. It further states that manufacturers have failed to stop work with distributors who continue to sell "to dealers with disproportionately high volumes of guns traced to crime scenes."

The suit alleges that the firearm distributors, ghost gun sellers, and firearm manufacturers have manufactured, imported, sold, marketed, and/or distributed firearms that have been possessed and/or used illegally in the city of Buffalo.

The suit includes statistics that highlight increased gun violence in the country amid record gun sales in the recent past.

"Defendants' actions have created, maintained, or contributed to a condition in Buffalo that impacts the health and well being of us all," it states.

Mayor Brown announced the lawsuit filed at the Supreme Court in Buffalo. "Members of our community have suffered too much for too long from gun violence," Brown said in a statement, ABCNews reported.

"We must do everything we can to decrease gun violence. Enabling the possession of illegal guns destroys lives and deeply affects our neighborhood, especially in Black and Brown communities," he continued, adding, "The conduct of certain gun manufacturers has unreasonably interfered with the public's right to use open space free from fear."

City officials have iterated that the aim of the lawsuit is "not to prevent legal gun ownership."

The city is seeking "an abatement fund with sufficient capital to eliminate the public nuisance they are responsible for creating, exacerbating, and/or perpetuating," among other penalties and disbursements.

Following the announcement, strong opinions are floating online, most of them condemning the legal action. "Sc**w the City of Buffalo for suing law abiding gun manufacturers. The incompetent law enforcement in the C.O.B. are the real criminals here. Stop wasting taxpayer money on doomed lawsuits," a Twitter user wrote.

"Its not the gun manufacturers fault, its the criminals fault. Do something about the criminals, i.e. put them in prison where they belong," another tweet read.

"Sounds like another tax grab," a third tweeted.

A stray positive comment read, "I stand with the city of Buffalo in their efforts to hold the gun industry accountable for the harm caused by their products. It's heartbreaking to see communities impacted by gun violence, and I hope this lawsuit can bring about positive change to prevent tragedies like this."

The city of Rochester followed on the heels of Buffalo. Mayor Malik Evans announced the lawsuit in New York State Court against major firearm manufacturers, importers, and distributors Tuesday, "for their role in fueling the gun violence crisis" locally, RochesterFirst reported.

"Violence prevention requires a multitude of strategies and a significant amount of collaboration," Evans said. "This is just the latest tactic I will dedicate to eradicating gun violence in Rochester."