Chicago sues Indiana gun store tied to 850 firearms recovered from crime scenes

CHICAGO – The city of Chicago filed a lawsuit Monday against a northern Indiana gun store it claims is one of the main sources of illicit firearms for the city's criminal market.

Westforth Sports, Inc. in Gary, Indiana, has "engaged in a pattern of illegal sales that has resulted in the flow of hundreds, if not thousands, of illegal firearms into the City of Chicago," according to the lawsuit filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County.

The suit, filed with the litigation arm of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund and the law firm Mayer Brown LLP, seeks "long overdue accountability" in the form of unspecified damages and an order requiring the store to cease practices contributing to gun trafficking.

"I've worked tirelessly to reduce violence to keep our streets safe," Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement Monday. "Time and time again, however, it has become even more clear that holding accountable all those who contribute to gun violence here, regardless of where they are located, is key to our ability to create a safer Chicago."