GIFFORDS celebrates SCOTUS rejection of gun industry attempt to escape accountability

WASHINGTON — GIFFORDS Law Center, the legal arm of the national gun violence prevention group GIFFORDS, released the following statement after the US Supreme Court declined to consider a gun industry-backed challenge to a New York statute “that sets out a legal pathway to hold gunmakers accountable for harm caused by their weapons.” The industry argued the law violated the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), a 2005 federal law that gives the gun industry unique immunity from most civil liability.

“The Supreme Court was right to dismiss the gun industry’s attempt to escape accountability for breaking the law. Congress’s gift of broad immunity to the gun industry was the biggest special interest giveaway in American history and it must be repealed – but importantly, it explicitly allows states to enforce their own laws,” said GIFFORDS Executive Director Emma Brown. “All of us have a part to play in reducing gun violence; elected officials, law enforcement, and gun owners do their part. But it’s time gun industry CEOs start carrying their weight—and those who act recklessly and enable gun crime need to be held accountable.”