Brian Malinowski, 53, was the Executive Director of the Little Rock, Arkansas airport. Brian was a firearms and coin collector. He often rented booths at local gun shows to buy and sell firearms. On March 19, 2024, the ATF raided his home under the suspicion that he may have been selling firearms via the “gun show loophole.” You may remember this so-called gun show loophole as being a tool for gun control implemented by the overzealous anti-gun crowd under the guise that it would stop mass murderers from committing heinous acts of violence. The political left propagandized the gun show loophole relentlessly in the hopes of preventing any gun sales without government involvement.
Gun rights advocates said from the beginning that this “gun show loophole” was nothing more than a tool to enact gun confiscation, criminalize people for private gun transactions, and prevent people from obtaining firearms. The so-called “gun show loophole” was the rare occasion where someone could buy a firearm without going through the lengthy, intrusive, and unconstitutional background check process. Regardless of the fact that criminals and killers would avoid the background check system altogether by stealing guns, the political left has been relentless in implementing legislation that would prevent the rare occasion of firearms being transferred without a background check.
Groups like Moms Demand Action, Everytown for Gun Safety, The Giffords Group, and March for Our Lives had their gun confiscation wish granted when the ATF broke into Bryan Malinowski’s house and killed him. Video of ATF arriving at the neighborhood by a neighbor’s security camera showed a total of 10 ATF vehicles descending on Malinowski’s home before sunrise.
As soon as the first ATF agent arrived at the door of the Milanowski home, he immediately covered the camera lens of the security camera on Milanowski’s house, preventing any video documentation of the raid.
It has been reported that ATF Agents broke down the door and raided the house to execute a search warrant without notice. Bryan Malinowski and his wife were startled by the attack on their home, and Bryan entered the hallway from his bedroom with a handgun. Bryan saw several people in his home and assumed he was under attack. Brian shot at the legs of the intruders. The ATF Agents shot back at Bryan and killed him with a shot to the head.
According to an affidavit from the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Malinowski signed forms when he purchased the guns, declaring he was buying the firearms for himself and not for resale. Because Malinowski supposedly violated this agreement, it would appear the ATF believed they had justification to raid his house while he and his wife were sleeping, knock down his door, and kill him as he tried defending himself and his wife.
Bud Cummins, a former U.S. attorney and spokesperson for the Milanowski family, said, “We do not understand the government’s decisions which led to a dawn raid on a private home and triggered the use of deadly force.” Cummins also said, “We are obviously concerned about the allegations in the affidavit released by the government today. Even if the allegations in the affidavit are true, they don’t begin to justify what happened. At worst, Bryan Malinowski, a gun owner and gun enthusiast, stood accused of making private firearm sales to a person who may not have been legally entitled to purchase the guns.”
ATF agents occupied Malinowski’s home for over 12 hours and, according to court documents, confiscated more than just firearms and ammunition. The court documents reveal that agents also confiscated Malinowski’s tax records, invoices related to gun sales, receipts, “vendor tags,” two cellphones, three computers, an iPad, and an undisclosed amount of cash. If Milanowski was buying and selling firearms without an FFL as he was accused, surely the ATF or police could’ve found a nonlethal way of handling the situation.
During their time of grieving, the Malinowski family found it in their hearts to release a statement with concern for the injured officers.
“Our thoughts and prayers also go out to the government agent who was injured yesterday, and to his family. We do not understand the government’s decisions which led to a dawn raid on a private home and triggered the use of deadly force. We are obviously concerned about the allegations in the affidavit released by the government today. Even if the allegations in the affidavit are true, they don’t begin to justify what happened. At worst, Bryan Malinowski, a gun owner and gun enthusiast, stood accused of making private firearm sales to a person who may not have been legally entitled to purchase the guns.”
Red Flag Laws and No-Knock warrants are deadly, and those who support them are putting the lives of nonviolent American citizens in danger every day.
About Dan Wos, Author – Good Gun Bad Guy
Dan Wos is available for Press Commentary. For more information, contact PR HERE
Dan Wos is a nationally recognized 2nd Amendment advocate, Host of The Loaded Mic and Author of the “GOOD GUN BAD GUY” book series. He speaks at events, is a contributing writer for many publications, and can be found on radio stations across the country. Dan has been a guest on Newsmax, the Sean Hannity Show, Real America’s Voice, and several others. Speaking on behalf of gun-rights, Dan exposes the strategies of the anti-gun crowd and explains their mission to disarm law-abiding American gun-owners.
