Baltimore City Takes On Glock In Lawsuit Over Gun Violence
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Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott are taking on one of the biggest names in the gun industry. They’ve filed a lawsuit against Glock, accusing the company of fueling the city’s gun violence crisis by making it easy for criminals to convert its handguns into fully automatic weapons.
The lawsuit claims Glock has violated Maryland’s Gun Industry Accountability Act, a law passed in 2024 that holds firearm manufacturers responsible if their products contribute to harm.
The Rise of Glock Switches in Baltimore
One of the biggest concerns? The increasing presence of “Glock switches” in Baltimore. These tiny devices turn semi-automatic Glock pistols into fully automatic weapons capable of firing an astonishing 1,200 rounds per minute.
Mayor Scott said the city has seen a sharp rise in these modifications over the past few years.
“This is a growing threat to safety,” Scott warned. “Those seeking to do harm in our communities are using these switches on easily modifiable Glock weapons to carry out criminal activity.”
Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley backed up those concerns with some alarming numbers. In 2023, the city recovered 35 Glock switches. In 2024, that number nearly doubled to 65.
It’s not just about the numbers, though. Commissioner Worley pointed out that 70% of the arrests involving modified Glocks were linked to people who weren’t even legally allowed to own a firearm.
Eric Tirschwell, Executive Director of Everytown Law, says Glocks are the most commonly recovered crime gun in Baltimore and across the U.S., partly because they’re so easy to modify.
“These weapons are turning up in carjackings, drug deals, and other violent crimes,” Mayor Scott said.
What the Lawsuit Against Glock Says
Attorney General Brown isn’t holding back. He says Glock has known for years that criminals are modifying its weapons, yet the company has failed to act.
“That’s faster than the weapons of war I used in the Army,” Brown said. “ATF agents call it ‘spray and pray’ because once the trigger is pulled, there is no control, only carnage. Glock knows this—they’ve known for years.”
The lawsuit alleges that Glock has even marketed its guns in ways that highlight how easily they can be modified. It also claims the company has falsely stated that there’s nothing it can do to stop the conversions.
But Tirschwell says that’s not true. The lawsuit lays out several design changes Glock could implement to prevent its weapons from being so easily altered.
What Maryland Officials Want From Glock
State leaders are demanding some big changes. They want a court order banning Glock from selling its pistols in Maryland unless the company implements safety measures. They’re also pushing for financial restitution, holding Glock accountable for its role in the state’s gun violence crisis.
“Glock could have designed its pistols to prevent these switches from working. They chose not to. That choice cost lives,” Brown said.
This lawsuit is a big deal—it’s the first one filed under Maryland’s new Gun Industry Accountability Act. But Maryland isn’t alone in this fight. New Jersey and Minnesota also sued Glock in December 2024 over similar concerns.
Baltimore’s Previous Battle Against Ghost Guns
This isn’t Baltimore’s first legal battle against the gun industry. Just last year, the city reached a $1.2 million settlement with Polymer80, a company known for making untraceable ghost guns.
That lawsuit accused Polymer80 of violating Maryland’s consumer protection laws by selling ghost gun kits without background checks. As part of the settlement, the company agreed to stop advertising in Maryland, selling ghost guns to Marylanders, and providing customer support in the state.
The fight against gun violence is far from over, but city and state leaders are making it clear: they’re willing to take on the biggest names in the industry to hold them accountable.
