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Google PlayFor the first time ever, a gun manufacturer is being held liable for a U.S. mass shooting, ABC News reports.
Remington Arms has agreed to a $73 million settlement with the families of five children and four adults who were killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. The Connecticut families first filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Remington—which manufactured the Bushmaster AR-15-style rifle that led to the deaths of 20 people—7 years ago.
“My beautiful butterfly, Dylan, is gone because Remington prioritized its profit over my son’s safety,” said Nicole Hockley, who lost her son Dylan in the shooting. “Marketing weapons of war directly to young people known to have a strong fascination with firearms is reckless and, as too many families know, deadly conduct. Using marketing to convey that a person is more powerful or more masculine by using a particular type or brand of firearm is deeply irresponsible.”
The suit accused Remington of “prioritizing profit over public safety” and violating the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act while marketing the gun to civilians. A trial was scheduled for September. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in July 2020 and argued that the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act and Connecticut law keeps manufacturers from being held liable for such crimes.
“These nine families have shared a single goal from the very beginning: to do whatever they could to help prevent the next Sandy Hook. It is hard to imagine an outcome that better accomplishes that goal,” Josh Koskoff, the families’ attorney said in a statement. “This victory should serve as a wake up call not only to the gun industry, but also the insurance and banking companies that prop it up.”
The plaintiffs in the case initially rejected a $33 million settlement back in July, and three months later the gun company subpoenaed school records for those killed in the shooting by 20-year-old Adam Lanza. But family attorneys moved to keep the records sealed.
“Every day is a realization that he should be there, and he is not. What is lost remains lost,” Lenny Pozner and Veronique De La Rosa said of their son Noah. “However, the resolution does provide a measure of accountability in an industry that has thus far operated with impunity. For this, we are grateful.”
