Niki Kelly and Benjamin Lanka
The Journal Gazette

Mayor Tom Henry's membership in "Mayors Against Illegal Guns" didn't go unnoticed by the National Rifle Association.

In a letter last week, the NRA asked its members to pressure Henry to quit the group. The NRA has made efforts across the country to get mayors to leave the group founded by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.

"It is critical that your mayor disassociate himself from this anti-gun group and you can do your part by contacting his office today and urging him to withdraw his MAIG membership," the letter said.

That urging doesn't seem as if it will sway Fort Wayne's mayor. In a statement, he said he understood many people are passionate about gun rights, but the group he joined respects the rights of law-abiding people to own firearms.

"As a non-partisan group of more than 450 mayors, our sole focus is fighting crime," he said. "Recognizing the role illegal guns play in crime and violence in Fort Wayne and across this country, we should all be committed to law enforcement and public safety by advocating for policies and sharing the best practices to remove illegal guns from our streets."

Other Indiana mayors in the group are Angola Mayor Dick Hickman, Columbia City Mayor Fred Armstrong, Goshen Mayor Allan Kauffman, Linton Mayor Tom Jones and South Bend Mayor Stephen Luecke.