Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro filed a lawsuit [text, PDF] on Sunday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania [official website] seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary and permanent injunction to block the company Defense Distributed from providing an online template download of 3D printed gun files for the general public. The company agreed to block Pennsylvania-based users from its site on Sunday, following an emergency hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Paul Diamond.
Defense Distributed had promised to release the instructions on Wednesday, August 1, but began distributing files Friday instead. According to Shapiro, by Sunday more than 1,000 people had downloaded 3D plans for AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifles.
Pennsylvania’s lawsuit alleges violations of the Pennsylvania Uniform Firearms Act of 1995 and the Federal Gun Control Act of 1968, as well as Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law.
“The Defendants – by intention and design – bypass these established legal requirements to instantaneously deliver real, workable firearms to any Pennsylvanian with access to an internet connection and 3D printer. The damage is imminent and irreversible: with the settlement of a federal action in Texas on Friday, July 27, the Defendants are free to – and promise to – distribute guns in Pennsylvania, and beyond, in negligent, reckless and knowing disregard of the criminal laws that apply to gun sales and purchases in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
According to a statement [press release] from Shapiro’s office, Defense Distributed recently settled with the federal government following a lengthy litigation, allowing it to continue its ‘at home’ gun-printing business.
“Left unchecked, Americans would be able to download a wide range of actual, working guns, including AR-15s, and 3D print their own guns – without serial numbers and without being subjected to the background check system for gun sales currently in place under federal and state law through licensed firearms dealers,” Shapiro said.
In June, the State Department authorized Defense Distributed to move ahead [WaPo report] with providing access to the gun-making instructions following a 5-year long settlement.
In a Twitter thread [text], Shapiro wrote, “PA lawmakers have spent decades carefully crafting our gun laws. They’ve imposed rules about background checks, age restrictions, the licensing process, etc. This would bypass all of that – and once they are out on the streets of PA, we’ll never get them back.”
