Three gun shops that City Hall attorneys accused of fueling gun violence in Philadelphia by facilitating straw purchases are either shut down or under new management, officials said.

Nearly three years ago, Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration sued Delia’s Gun Shop and Frank’s Gun Shop & Shooting Range, both in Northeast Philadelphia, along with Tanner’s Sports Center, in Bucks County.

Frank’s and Tanner’s recently settled with the city, while Delia’s filed for bankruptcy ahead of a trial that was scheduled to begin later this month, according to Mayor Cherelle Parker’s office.

“From manufacturing to sales of firearms, there are laws that need to be followed,” City Solicitor Renee Garcia said in a statement. “Any person or company that is not complying with those laws should consider themselves put on notice.”

More than 1,300 guns recovered at Philadelphia crime scenes between 2015 and 2019 were sold at one of the three stores, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a firearm control advocacy organization that joined the city in filing the litigation.

Attorneys for the city and Everytown asserted that the three businesses recklessly ignored clear signs of straw purchasing, which occurs when someone illegally buys a gun for another person. Oftentimes, the recipient cannot legitimately purchase the weapon due to their criminal record or age.

Dozens of confirmed straw purchasers acquired nearly 160 firearms from Delia’s, Frank’s and Tanner’s over a four-year period ending in March 2022, the legal team alleged.

WRT Management Inc. and its owner, as part of the settlement, agreed not to participate in gun sales going forward and signed over the rights to its insurance policy to City Hall, with maximum coverage totaling $11.9 million, city officials said. The firm previously ran Tanner’s in Jamison, Pennsylvania.

Frank’s, in Holmesburg, had its firearms permit revoked by federal agents in 2024. The shop’s owners agreed not to seek another license and stay out of the business.

Representatives from Everytown said guns sold to straw purchasers at Delia’s were connected to 13 separate shootings from 2018 to 2023, and more than 800 crime guns were traced to the store.  Delia’s, located on Torresdale Avenue in Wissinoming, remains open but with different owners, the attorneys added.

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Keywords

Philadelphia gun violence,

straw purchases,

gun shop lawsuits,

Everytown for Gun Safety,

Delia’s Gun Shop,

Frank’s Gun Shop,

Tanner’s Sports Center,

Cherelle Parker