Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr., and Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, co-chairs of Prosecutors Against Gun Violence, today released a letter sent to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in advance of the preliminary injunction hearing scheduled for Tuesday, August 21, in the Defense Distributed litigation underway in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
Dear Secretary Pompeo:
We are the co-chairs of Prosecutors Against Gun Violence, an independent, non-partisan coalition of prosecutors from across the country that identifies and promotes prosecutorial, legislative, and policy solutions to gun violence. As prosecutors sworn to uphold the law and ensure the safety of our communities, we urge the State Department to reverse its dangerous decision allowing Defense Distributed to post online schematic designs that enable 3D printing of virtually untraceable guns, and to take all necessary steps to prevent the further online dissemination of any such designs by any party.
Your action now is necessary to avert a significant threat to our national security and public safety in general. Unlimited online access to these blueprints would allow anyone with a dangerous history, including terrorists and domestic abusers who cannot pass a background check, to download files and print a functional gun with 3D printers available to any consumer. Easily made invisible to metal detectors, these plastic guns could readily be smuggled onto airplanes, and into concerts, festivals, and government buildings. And untraceable firearms would cripple law enforcement investigations, as well as our ability, as prosecutors, to bring dangerous criminals to justice We welcome the opportunity to further discuss this matter with you, and are available to meet at your convenience.
Sincerely,
Mike Feuer and Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., co-chairs of Prosecutors Against Gun Violence
Mike Feuer and Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., co-chairs of Prosecutors Against Gun Violence
prosecutorsagv.org 