Located just outside Washington, DC, in Forestville, Maryland, Realco gun shop is the place to go for criminals seeking weapons. An investigation by The Washington Post turned up 86 guns sold by Realco during the last 18 years that were linked to homicides—far more than the total from any other store in the region. Overall, 2,500 guns sold by the store have wound up in police hands, including more than 300 used in non-fatal shootings, assaults and robberies. Some of Realco’s guns have been used by individuals barred from owning weapons due to their criminal past.

 

In Virginia, out of 3,400 stores selling guns, 40 were responsible for two thirds of the guns recovered by law enforcement authorities since 1998.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Realco Guns Tied to 2,500 Crimes in D.C. and Maryland (by David S. Fallis, Washington Post)