Minnesota AG Takes Aim at Glock: Lawsuit Over Deadly Machine Gun Conversions

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed a lawsuit against Glock, Inc. and its Austrian parent company, accusing the gun manufacturer of enabling illegal machine guns through its design and marketing practices.

The lawsuit, filed in Hennepin County, highlights the dangers of “Glock switches,” devices that convert semi-automatic Glock handguns into fully automatic machine guns, which have been involved in multiple violent incidents across the state.

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Minnesota Says Glock "Has to Stop"

Attorney General Ellison alleges that Glock has known about the issue since 1988 but has refused to make design changes to prevent these conversions. “I am suing Glock for knowingly manufacturing and selling handguns that can easily be converted into machine guns,” Ellison said. “This has to stop.”

Minnesota Shootings With Modified Glock Handguns

Among the incidents cited in the lawsuit is a 2021 Minneapolis nightclub shooting that left two people dead, including Charlie Johnson, a University of St. Thomas student who was killed just hours before his graduation.

Another case involved the 2023 shooting of an undercover Minneapolis police officer, who survived the attack. Both incidents involved converted Glock handguns.

Minnesota Says Glock is Violating the Law

Ellison contends that Glock’s actions violate Minnesota laws against consumer fraud, deceptive trade practices, negligence, and nuisance. The lawsuit seeks to compel the company to make design changes, pay civil penalties, and surrender profits made from what Ellison calls illegal conduct.

Minnesota law enforcement leaders, including Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, have voiced their support for the lawsuit. “This is not a political issue. This is a violent crime issue,” O’Hara stated.

Automatic Weapons Use on Rise in Minnesota

The proliferation of converted Glocks has contributed to a rise in automatic gunfire. Minneapolis data shows a sharp increase in incidents involving fully automatic firearms, with nearly 3,000 rounds fired in 2022 alone.

This lawsuit, the first of its kind in Minnesota, aims to hold Glock accountable for its role in enabling gun violence and seeks to address what officials describe as a preventable public safety crisis.