The Indiana Supreme Court has declined to take up a request from the City of Gary that would have shifted jurisdiction and prolonged a lawsuit the city has pursued for more than two decades. The action effectively blocks an attempt to keep a 26-year-old case moving forward against firearm manufacturers.

NSSF, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, responded from Washington, D.C., praising the court’s decision. The trade association said the ruling reflects adherence to the rule of law and prevents continued litigation aimed at expanding liability beyond those who commit crimes.

At the center of the dispute is Gary’s long-running effort to hold gun manufacturers responsible for criminal misuse of firearms by third parties. The case sought to place legal blame on companies for acts carried out by individuals, rather than on the perpetrators themselves.

According to NSSF, Gary filed a petition to transfer jurisdiction in an effort to extend the litigation. The Indiana Supreme Court denied that petition, cutting off a pathway the city was using to keep the lawsuit alive.

NSSF characterized the suit as frivolous and argued that allowing it to continue would encourage politically driven litigation designed to punish lawful commerce through the courts. The group framed the court’s decision as an important check on “lawfare” tactics that, in its view, attempt to achieve policy outcomes by targeting manufacturers instead of addressing criminal behavior directly.