Philadelphia loses lawsuit that sought to impose stricter gun regulations

KYW Newsradio Audio On-Demand

Philadelphia has lost its fight to impose stricter gun regulations than what is allowed under state law. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has unanimously upheld a lower court's dismissal of a lawsuit filed by the city, the nonprofit group CeaseFirePA and family members of gun violence victims. The court's opinion acknowledged that “a serious problem exists” but said the court's role was not to decide whether state laws are adequate to address the challenge. Mayor Parker said the court’s decision means that Philadelphia cannot enact “many common-sense regulations ... that are proven to reduce gun violence and save lives.” Philadelphia Police Department statistics show homicides have fallen in 2024. Through yesterday, the city had recorded 228. The city hit a record high of 562 in 2021. The Center for American Progress said Philadelphia had seen the most significant decline in gun violence in 2024 of the country's 50 largest cities.