EAST WINDSOR, Conn., April 5 (UPI) — The gun shop that sold the weapon used in the Newtown, Conn., school massacre has had its gun-selling license revoked, a Justice Department agency said.
Riverview Gun Sales of East Windsor, Conn., which also allegedly sold a weapon used in another Connecticut mass shooting, had its federal firearms license, listed under the name of shop owner David LaGuercia, revoked six days after the Newtown shooting, and LaGuercia’s 60-day appeal period has expired, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said.
LaGuercia had no immediate comment.
The shop remains open, selling ammunition, gun accessories such as targets and hearing protection, and clothing.
ATF agents raided the shop for undisclosed reasons shortly after the Dec. 14 school shooting and before it pulled LaGuercia’s license Dec. 20, the Hartford (Conn.) Courant reported.
WFSB-TV, Hartford, reported a man with mental illness was seen on video surveillance walking out of Riverview Gun Sales with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.
Nancy Lanza legally purchased an AR-15 that was alleged to be among the guns her son Adam Lanza used to kill 26 people, including 20 first-graders, at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the Courant said.
The federal investigation didn’t involve Nancy Lanza’s gun purchase but started after investigators reviewed the records of that gun sale, the Courant said, citing sources who said the review uncovered other evidence that led to the license revocation.
U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesman Tom Carson told United Press International Friday he couldn’t “confirm or deny that there is a criminal investigation” related to Riverview.
LaGuercia said in December he was “absolutely appalled” to learn a gun he sold to Nancy Lanza might have been used in the Newtown massacre.
“There is nothing more devastating than the loss of a child and I am absolutely appalled that the product that was sold several years ago would be used in this type of crime,” he said in the statement cited by The Journal News of White Plains, N.Y.
“Our hearts go out to the victims’ families and, as a father of three, I know firsthand of a parent’s loss and it’s the worst nightmare,” his statement said, adding he was “cooperating with law enforcement in their efforts to get to the bottom of this senseless tragedy.”
LaGuercia’s shop, which describes itself on its website as “one of Connecticut’s largest gun dealers,” allegedly also legally sold two Ruger SR9 semi-automatic pistols used in an Aug. 3, 2010, shooting at a Hartford Distributors Inc. beer-distribution warehouse in Manchester, Conn., that left nine people dead including the gunman, former employee Omar Shariff Thornton.
Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).
11 thoughts on “Gun dealer tied to Newtown loses license”
“WFSB-TV, Hartford, reported a man with mental illness was seen on video surveillance walking out of Riverview Gun Sales with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.”
And . . . ? For those of you who have never purchased a gun, the buyer can lie on the Federal form required for purchase. Are you going to make the Dealer an accredited Psychologist/Psychiatrist to catch those “wacos” who aren’t listed with the Federal Background Check.
Expand the Background check to include those who should not have a weapon for mental reasons. Force the Mental Health community to report those people.
Isn’t this what the NRA and gun lovers are calling for? Stricter enforcement of current gun laws.
Please don’t tell us you are high again on the nasty illegal marijuana
I agree, if the guy was in the wrong, he deserves to be punished. But this administration only wants to do what ever they can to further their position on gun control and nothing else.
And Bush didn’t? He took us to war over a lie. None of these guys are any good. But we weren’t going to go with another Bush after what happened.
@B4B what has that got to do with the article?
brickless, your ignorance is getting worse as is your gullibility.
Ya, another poor shill making sure you pay more taxes than me. Thanks. You make it so easy.
you are welcome
Doing something illegal in the running of his business is one thing, but legally selling guns that are later used in a crime doesn’t make him a criminal…
Read the article again and think about what it says, not what you think it says. “The federal investigation didn’t involve Nancy Lanza’s gun purchase but started after investigators reviewed the records of that gun sale, the Courant said, citing sources who said the review uncovered other evidence that led to the license revocation.”
Notice the last line about uncovering other evidence that led to the revocation.