The city of Gary is considering its next steps, after the Indiana General Assembly passed legislation to end the city's lawsuit against gun manufacturers and sellers.
During a press conference Monday, Mayor Eddie Melton said the city is discussing its legal options with its attorneys. "It's something that we're definitely frustrated with, that this was something that the legislature injected themselves into, and we just wanted to make sure that those illegitimate gun sellers were held accountable," Melton said.
Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said the legislature overreached. "They had no reason whatsoever to step in on a case that's pending, has been pending for a substantial period of time, and retroactively, basically, have that case dismissed," Carter said during Monday's press conference.
Carter placed a lot of the blame on the National Rifle Association and what he felt is its control over politicians in the U.S. "When they dump tons and tons of money into the hands of people who have that philosophy that we don't want no new legislation on any guns, I mean, you can't move anything on them, in the federal system as well as the state system," Carter added.
Mayor Melton said he's heard from mayors around the country worried about the ripple effect Indiana's legislation may have on them.