California data ties disproportionate share of crime guns to Turner’s Outdoorsman stores
PN Team • 2 months ago
New California Department of Justice data show a Turner's Outdoorsman location in Bakersfield linked to 83 crime guns traced by law enforcement from 2023 to 2025, the most among active dealers in any of the state's 10 largest cities. Combined with the prior tenant of that storefront, 183 guns sold there were later recovered as crime guns—more than the top five dealers combined in Los Angeles, Oakland, or San Diego. Statewide, the Turner's chain, California's largest gun retailer, was linked to more than 8,500 crime guns over the period, a share disproportionate to its roughly 22% of sales. Its guns also turned up at crime scenes faster after purchase than those from other dealers, a pattern regulators associate with trafficking.
Officials including L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn and Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty have called for scrutiny of the chain's practices, while gun-safety group Brady United has pressed for investigation. Turner's has defended its compliance record; state inspectors flagged a possible straw-purchase violation at its San Bernardino store, the state's most crime-gun-linked dealer.
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Sentiment
- California California is the setting for data revealing a widespread gun trafficking-related problem within the state.
- Los Angeles Los Angeles is mentioned only as a comparison point for crime gun statistics, a neutral factual reference.
- Oakland, California Oakland is mentioned only as a comparison point for crime gun statistics, a neutral factual reference.
- Sacramento, California Sacramento is mentioned mainly via its mayor's proactive stance, a mild positive association.