From the files of, “this isn’t at all shocking:”
The handgun used to shoot a Milwaukee police officer last week has been traced to Badger Guns, making that store the sole supplier of all the guns used to wound six officers in two years, police said.
Detectives traced the 9mm Hi-Point used in Wednesday’s shooting to a sale at Badger in 2007, and police suspect the handgun – a cheap model favored by criminals – was purchased by a “straw buyer,” someone who buys a gun for a felon.
Badger in West Milwaukee has been the scene of more straw buying than any other gun shop in the area, according to federal court records.
Nine of 10 straw buyers prosecuted since 2007 made their purchases at Badger Guns or its predecessor, Badger Outdoors, a review of court records shows. In the past five years, the store accounted for 21 of the 27 cases prosecuted.
Now obviously Badger Guns isn’t selling guns directly to felons, but here’s a glimpse into just how lax the folks at Badger Guns have been when it comes to selling to straw buyers:
Federal court documents in the case provide a rare look inside one apparent straw sale.
In May, Jacob Collins was in Badger with Julius Burton, an 18-year-old who was too young to buy a handgun at a store, according to federal court documents.
“That’s the one I want,” Burton told Collins, pointing to a .40-caliber Taurus handgun, records show.
Collins, 21, told the clerk he wanted to buy the Taurus. But he slipped up on the federal background form. It asked whether Collins was buying the gun for himself. Collins answered “no.” Collins said he was confused by the question.
“The store owner told him, ‘Read the form, and put down what you think is right, I can’t help you with the form,’ ” the court document says.
Collins was allowed to change his answer. Collins got the gun and sold it to Burton for $40.
Clearly, something needs to be done about Badger Guns, whose owners seem more concerned about turning a profit than they do about making sure guns aren’t ending up in the hands of criminals.
From an article on JSonline about the charges filed in the recent shooting of a MPD cop:
“But Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, who joined Barrett and Flynn in announcing the package, said making straw buying a state felony would give his prosecutors and state judges more options in punishing gun crimes.”
It’s good to see Mayor Barrett, Chief Flynn, and DA Chisholm join together and push for laws making it a felony to be a straw buyer of a gun.
Yeah, hopefully the folks in Madison will fast-track legislation to make straw buying a state felony.
why a felony? Seems excessive to me.
Why a felony?
Because straw buyers are putting guns into the hands of felons, who are too often turning around and using those guns to commit new felonies.