May 05, 2026
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
The city of Philadelphia reached an agreement with three gun shops over a 2023 lawsuit that alleges the businesses facilitated illegal purchases of firearms.
Three gun shops agreed to a settlement with the city over a 2023 lawsuit that alleges the businesses facilitated illegal straw purchases of firearms, officials said Tuesday.
Two of the defendants — Frank’s Gun Shop in Holmesburg and WRT Management Inc. (formerly Tanner’s Sports Center) in Bucks County — agreed to not sell guns or seek a federal license to sell guns in the future. The third shop, Delia’s Gun Shop in Wissinoming, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on Friday and is under new ownership and management.
Straw purchase transactions, which are illegal under federal and state law, occur when a buyer purchases a gun with the intention of illegally transferring it to someone who is unable to purchase one themselves, such as a minor or someone who has been convicted of a felony.
In the lawsuit, the city claimed the shops' owners knowingly overlooked indicators of straw purchasing, which include buying a high volume of guns at once or using false identification. Prosecutors also said that 1,300 guns linked to homicides, home invasions, robberies and found at other crime scenes between 2015 and 2019 were traced back to one of the three vendors.
“The gun shops at the center of this lawsuit have put weapons into the hands of criminals, children and people who should not have access to a firearm,” Mayor Cherelle Parker said in a statement Tuesday. “I feel confident that our residents are now safer as a result of these settlements and the departure of these negligent businesses from the industry.”
In March, the city settled with the owners of Frank's Gun Shop and Shooting Range LLC, which had its Federal Firearms License seized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in November 2024. A deal was reached with WRT Management last month, Ava Schwemler, director of communications with the city's Law Department, said in a statement. Both ownership groups agreed not to participate in the firearms or ammunition businesses again.
Delia’s Gun Shop filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Friday. The business was set to head to trial with the city later this month. RMS Sporting and Accessories, which is run by different owners, is now doing business at Delia’s former location.
Delia’s was linked to 803 guns involved in crimes that were recovered in the state between 2015 and 2019, according to Everytown Law, the city's co-counsel in the lawsuit. City officials were prepared to testify that the business owed the city over $13 million in damages between compensatory and abatement payments.
Even though none of the defendants have remaining assets, the settlement allows the city to recover up to $11.9 million in damages from the insurer for WRT Management. How the settlement funds will be used has yet to be determined, but there is no restriction on where the money can be allocated, Schwemler said
The entity operating under the name Tanner's Sports Center in Jamison, Bucks County, is under new ownership and has an updated federal license, Phoebe Rogers, director of communications with Everytown Law, said in a statement Tuesday.
“These settlements are the direct results of the mounting evidence uncovered throughout this litigation, which demonstrated a clear pattern of misconduct that contributed to Philadelphia’s gun violence epidemic,” Alla Lefkowitz, managing director of affirmative litigation for Everytown Law, said in a statement. “Straw purchasing is a major contributor to gun crime and gun dealers have a legal responsibility not to ignore suspicious purchasing behaviors that indicate illegal gun trafficking or straw purchasing.”
