Widow of slain police commander sues gun-selling website

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CHICAGO (AP) — The widow of a slain Chicago Police Department commander filed a lawsuit Wednesday against a website used to sell a gun tied to her husband’s death.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports Erin Bauer and the nonprofit gun-control group Brady filed the lawsuit against Armslist.com in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee.

The 9-millimeter Glock pistol allegedly used to kill Cmdr. Paul Bauer in 2018 was sold by a Madison, Wisconsin resident to a Milwaukee resident. The lawsuit claims the gun later made its way through the “criminal marketplace” to Shomari Legghette, who is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Paul Bauer, 53. Bauer was shot six times as he chased a suspect in a non-fatal shooting that had taken place days earlier.

The lawsuit alleges Armslist negligently allowed sales of weapons without background checks. Jonathan Lowy, chief counsel for Brady, contends other websites have features preventing unlicensed sellers from selling guns to customers who are legally barred from owning firearms.

“We can’t know what would have happened if Armslist was not negligent … but we do know what did happen: someone who should not have had a gun was able to get one, and a police commander is dead,” Lowy said.

The lawsuit seeks both financial damages and injunctions to force Armslist to change its practices.

Armslist officials haven’t responded to requests for comment.

Legghette is scheduled to go on trial later this year.