Attorney General Ellison sues Glock for making and selling handguns that can easily be turned into machine guns

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit today against gun manufacturer Glock, Inc. and its Austrian parent company for manufacturing, marketing and selling semiautomatic handguns that Glock knows can easily be converted into illegal machine guns with a device known as a “Glock switch.” Glock switches are putting Minnesota communities and Minnesota law enforcement at risk. GIFFORDS Law Center represents Minnesota in the lawsuit.

There are several documented incidents in Minnesota of Glocks that were converted to machine guns injuring or killing people, including:

• The May 22, 2021 shoot-out at a Minneapolis nightclub that killed two people, including 21-year-old bystander Charlie Johnson, who died hours before his graduation ceremony at the University of St. Thomas. The person who was convicted of killing them was sentenced to more than 69 years in prison in December 2022.
• The Aug. 11, 2023 shooting of an undercover Minneapolis police officer, from which the officer recovered. The person who pleaded guilty to shooting him was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison in May 2024.

“I am suing Glock for knowingly manufacturing and selling handguns that can easily be converted into machine guns,” said Attorney General Ellison. “Glock’s actions, and their inaction, violate Minnesota law, and put kids, communities and law enforcement in danger. This has to stop. Today’s lawsuit against Glock is about protecting our kids and protecting the guardians who look out for us.”

“It is critically important that we continue to hold individuals who commit crimes criminally accountable for their actions,” added Ellison. “It is also important that when corporations knowingly make, market, and sell products that put people’s lives in danger, we hold them civilly accountable. We can and must reduce gun violence and keep Minnesotans safe by pursuing justice using the tools of both criminal and civil law.  One is not a substitute for the other; rather, when we use them together, we fight gun violence both downstream and upstream.”

“For years, Glock has had the opportunity—and responsibility—to prioritize safety in the design of its firearms. Instead, it has continued to manufacture semi-automatic handguns with a specific design that makes them uniquely susceptible to the installation of devices that convert their guns into illegal fully automatic machine guns. This lawsuit—which is the first of its kind in Minnesota—challenges Glock’s refusal to address preventable harm,” said Lekha Menon, an attorney with GIFFORDS Law Center. “The data is clear: Minnesota law enforcement and communities are grappling with a surge in gun violence involving semi-automatic Glock handguns converted into illegal and dangerous fully automatic machine guns. Today’s lawsuit is a significant step forward to protect public safety and hold Glock accountable for its role in enabling deadly violence in Minnesota. Thank you to Attorney General Ellison for demonstrating courage in this fight against gun violence.”

“I ask you to remember our son Charlie and all the victims like him,” said Greg Johnson, father of gun violence victim Charlie Johnson. “There are families like ours all over this country, and it’s not ok to do nothing: there are commonsense things that can be done. Think of how many handguns Glock has sold, knowing that they can be converted into machine guns. Shame on them. They should be held accountable.”

“I’m grateful to Attorney General Ellison for working to hold this manufacturer accountable for making it way too easy to commit violence,” said Brian O’Hara, Chief of the Minneapolis Police Department. “This is not a political issue. This should not be a partisan issue. This is a violent crime issue. This is an officer safety issue.”

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