Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed a lawsuit against Glock, Inc. and its Austrian parent company, alleging that the gun manufacturer produces and sells semi-automatic handguns that can be easily converted into illegal machine guns using a device known as a "Glock switch." According to Ellison, these conversions have resulted in injuries and fatalities among Minnesota civilians and law enforcement.
Ellison claims Glock's practices violate state laws regarding consumer fraud, deceptive trade practices, false advertising, negligence, and nuisance. The lawsuit seeks design changes to prevent easy conversion of the handguns, along with disgorgement of profits.
"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."
The complaint highlights incidents where converted Glocks have been used in violent crimes within Minnesota. Brian O'Hara, Chief of the Minneapolis Police Department, emphasized the safety concerns: "This is not a political issue. This should not be a partisan issue. This is a violent crime issue."
Data from Minneapolis ShotSpotter shows an increase in automatic gunfire incidents from 2020 to 2023. Despite knowing about these issues since at least 1988 when Glock founder Gaston Glock demonstrated such conversions, the company has continued to market its products without addressing these risks.
Attorney General Ellison announced his legal action on the same day New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin filed a similar lawsuit against Glock for violations of New Jersey law.
"With this lawsuit, we are putting the homemade machine gun industry out of business," said Platkin. "Our message today to Glock is clear: the days of putting greed ahead of safety are over."
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty supported the move: "Gun violence has a devastating impact on our community... This is a critical public safety issue."
The GIFFORDS Law Center serves as Special Assistant Attorneys General in this case against Glock. Lekha Menon from GIFFORDS stated: "Today's lawsuit is a significant step forward to protect public safety."
Rose Lewis from the University of Minnesota's Gun Violence Prevention Law Clinic expressed support for holding Glock accountable: “We are proud to partner with Attorney General Ellison.”
The Minnesota Attorney General's Office aims to hold corporations civilly accountable while complementing criminal prosecution efforts.