Court documents filed last week indicate that two of the suspects involved in the shooting that broke out during the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl rally, in which one person was killed and another 22 were wounded, were armed with two semi-automatic 9mm pistols: a Taurus G3 and a Glock.
Both 9mm pistols are capable of accepting high-capacity magazines. The full-size version of the Taurus G3 uses 17-round magazines, though 15- and 10-round magazines are also available.1Note: The court documents do not specify which magazine size was recovered with the Taurus G3. While the specific Glock model has not yet been identified, the gun in question was recovered with a 15-round magazine — the standard size provided with the 9mm Glock 19.
Because of their compact size, both guns are also relatively easy to conceal on one’s person — a danger highlighted by the Kansas City shooting, which took place in a state that enacted “permitless carry” in 2017, allowing adults to carry handguns concealed in public without permits. Taurus calls the G3 an “EDC,” or “everyday carry,” pistol, and Glock describes the G19 as “ideal for use as a backup weapon or for concealed carry.”2See Taurus, “Taurus G3,” archived January 19, 2024, https://web.archive.org/web/20240119152228/https://www.taurususa.com/pistols/taurus-g3; and Glock, “G19,” archived February 27, 2024, https://web.archive.org/web/20240227151001/https://us.glock.com/en/pistols/g19.
More details on the guns
Taurus has a reputation for selling very inexpensive firearms made either in Brazil or Bainbridge, Georgia, and the G3 is no exception. The pistol can be found online for just over $200. Our database cataloging the guns used or recovered in the country’s deadliest mass shootings show that Taurus pistols have now been used in at least seven mass shootings, including in Kansas City.
Glock pistols are typically more expensive, costing around $500 to $600, and they’re more commonly involved in mass shootings. According to our database, Glocks have been used or recovered in at least 37 mass shootings.
the need for greater transparency
Law enforcement noted that .40-caliber casings were also found at the scene of the Kansas City shooting, suggesting that at least one other firearm was involved. The sound of rapid bursts of gunfire recorded at the scene also seems to indicate at least one firearm was modified with an auto sear to shoot automatically, and law enforcement personnel across the country have seen a steep rise in third-party auto sears designed specifically for Glock pistols, known as “Glock switches,” showing up at crime scenes.
But so far, no other details about the guns have been released, which speaks to a larger problem with police and media reporting in the aftermath of a shooting. Too often, the makes and models of firearms involved in shootings and other critical information is never provided, making it that much harder to understand and tackle our gun violence problem.