Federal Court Allows Minnesota Attorney General To Expand Fleet Farm Lawsuit

(KNSI) – The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office is adding a claim to its lawsuit against Fleet Farm, accusing the retailer of selling firearms to straw buyers.

In a press release, the office says the retailer violated the Minnesota Gun Control Act. The statute prohibits a gun dealer from selling to someone who makes an obvious false statement to obtain the weapon. Fleet Farm could potentially face up to $25,000 in penalties per violation.

Attorney General Keith Ellison says, “Individual offenders who perpetrate gun violence must be held accountable under the law, but so too must businesses that sell firearms to straw purchasers and threaten Minnesotans’ safety. As your Attorney General, I will continue to hold accountable those responsible for gun violence and trafficking, using all the tools available to me.”

The motion to amend the filing was first made in January. It was accepted, but Fleet Farm appealed. U.S. District Court Judge John Tunheim upheld the change on May 23rd.

If needed, the case is scheduled for a jury trial beginning in May 2025. The AG’s office alleges that Fleet Farm sold 37 guns of various types to two people in just a 16-month span. Those guns are known to have been used in two crimes after the initial sale.

That includes a shootout in a St. Paul bar in October 2021. In another case, a six-year-old boy picked up one of the weapons after finding it in the front yard of his home. It is believed a suspect had tossed the gun as they fled from a public shooting.

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