Judge dismisses city of Chicago's lawsuit against Indiana gun store over straw gun sales

CHICAGO (AP) — A judge has dismissed a lawsuit the city of Chicago filed against an Indiana store that it alleged sold hundreds of guns in straw purchases that ended up in the hands of felons or at crime scenes in the city. Chicago sued Westforth Sports Inc. of Gary in 2021, alleging the store repeatedly violated federal gun laws and that store owner Earl Westforth ignored federal warnings about suspicious purchases at the store. The Chicago Tribune reports that attorneys for Westforth Sports argued the lawsuit should be dismissed because the city’s allegations concerned transactions between Westforth and residents of Indiana. Straw gun sales refer to those that someone purportedly purchases for their own use but actually are bought for others.