Minnesota AG sues Fleet Farm over gun sales to straw buyers

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is suing Fleet Farm, alleging the retailer negligently sold firearms to two straw buyers, including one gun that was used in a shootout in a St. Paul bar that left one person dead and 14 bystanders injured.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, alleges that Fleet Farm ignored multiple red flags, including sales of multiple guns in single purchases. It alleges that Fleet Farm stores sold the two at least 37 firearms.

Company officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Ellison, a Democrat, is facing a stiff re-election challenge from Republican candidate Jim Schultz, who has made violent crime his top issue.