INQUIRER: New city laws to control the number of guns sold in Philadelphia is meant to stop the illegal flow of guns to criminals and not meant to stop legal sales, Mayor Nutter emphasized in a morning press conference. The conference was scheduled hours before city officials return to court this afternoon battling whether the city can independently pass legislation to limit gun sales here. The mayor has already signed legislation backed by City
Council. The National Rifle Association, along with others, including gun dealers, has filed a civil lawsuit to block the laws.
With Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey at his side along with gun expert Joseph Vince and city solicitor Shelley R. Smith, Nutter said there are three simple points behind the legislation he signed. First, the legislation will not impact lawful purchases. Second, federal authorities recommend such legislation as a way to curb gun violence. Third, the gun dealers trying to stop the legislation are ones that engage in multiple sales to a single purchaser — and those guns often end up at crime scenes, Nutter said. “These gun traffickers are not going to stop us from keeping the citizens of Philadelphia safe,” Nutter said. MORE