By Ed Somers

Continuing the stream of lawsuits against the gun industry, Newark (NJ) Mayor Sharpe James filed his suit against 29 American and foreign gun manufacturers, three trade associations, and two New Jersey-based gun distributors on June 7.

The Newark lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. The suit has eight counts and assails the defendants for selling guns without safety locks, failing to provide warnings that guns are dangerous, negligent marketing and distribution, causing a nuisance, and unjust enrichment, among others claims.

In commenting on the suit, Mayor James said, "Gun manufacturers sell their products like popcorn and ice cream, but they fail to safely manufacture these weapons, and take no action to screen dealers, distributors, and sellers of their handguns to make sure that these dealers aren’t selling weapons to kids and criminals."

Local government lawsuits against the gun industry have previously been filed by New Orleans, Chicago, Atlanta, Bridgeport, Miami-Dade County, Detroit/Wayne County, St. Louis, Boston, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Compton, West Hollywood, San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, San Mateo County (CA) and Alameda County (CA).