For the second time in recent years, a statistical analysis cited Don’s Guns and Galleries in Indianapolis as a leading purveyor of guns later linked to crimes, says the Indianapolis Star. The Washington Post found Don’s ranked third among U.S. firearm retailers, with 1,910 crime-related guns traced back to the shop in the past four years. An earlier study by a gun-control organization ranked Don’s second in such sales from 1996 to 2000, with 2,294 guns turning up illegally. Owner Don Davis, 77, makes no apologies, contending the problem comes when guns are resold on the street or at gun shows. He also said because he is one of the leading sellers in the U.S., it’s logical that more guns are traced to his store than others.
“I have the ATF and FBI checking me out all the time,” Davis said, referring to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “The problem is with Indiana law. Once people leave here, anyone can sell to anyone they want.” Gun-control advocates contend that volume of sales does not account for the number of Don’s guns that fall into criminals’ hands. “Eighty-nine percent of gun dealers have no crime that traces to them,” said Daniel Vice of the Washington, D.C-based Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “The fact is that 1 percent of the gun dealers sell 57 percent of the crime guns.” The Brady Campaign said Indiana has some of the weakest gun laws in the nation.