Fleet Farm to pay $1 million after settling straw purchasing lawsuit

Fleet Farm says it'll change its policies and pay Minnesota $1 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the retailer of selling guns to straw purchasers, who then sold them to others.

Attorney General Keith Ellison sued Fleet Farm in 2022, claiming they sold at least 37 guns to two straw purchasers in less than a year and a half, including the gun used in the 2021 St. Paul Truck Park bar mass shooting.

Terry Brown opened fire inside the bar and killed 27-year-old Marquisha Wiley and injured more than a dozen others. He was sentenced to nearly 37 years. The man who sold Brown the gun was sentenced to 25 months. 

Tuesday, the legal battle between Minnesota and retailer Fleet Farm finally settled.

As part of the settlement, Fleet Farm will pay the state $1 million but will also take steps to improve detection and prevention of straw purchase sales. It includes training for staff, new software to track gun sales across stores, a new monitoring system that alerts staff to purchasers linked to gun crimes and a new dicipline policy for staff who don't notice signs of straw purchases.

Professor Megan Walsh, from the University of Minnesota's gun violence prevention clinic, helped litigate the case along with her students.

"This isn't just about putting one person in jail. This is about addressing a huge issue of public safety upstream," Walsh said. "This isn't just affecting one gun sale — this is affecting gun sales across the country, making it safer for all of Minnesota."

In a statement to WCCO, a Fleet Farm spokesperson said "we are pleased to have reached a resolution with the Minnesota Attorney General's Office on this matter. We condemn gun violence and remain committed to partnering with law enforcement and community leaders to help keep our communities safe."