Family members of some of the victims of the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, are suing the manufacturer of the gun the 18-year-old murderer used in that shooting as well as Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, and video game maker Activision.
The two lawsuits join suits filed earlier this week against 92 Texas law enforcement officers for standing around for more than an hour while 19 children and two teachers were slaughtered at Robb Elementary School two years ago, as CrimeOnline reported.
The two new lawsuits argue that Daniel Defense, manufacturer of the AR-15-style weapon used in the shooting, marketed its guns to young people with the help of Meta and Activisions Call of Duty, which uses Daniel Defense weapons, the Texas Tribune reported.
In Texas, 18-year-olds can readily buy semi-automatic rifles like the weapons used in the Uvalde shooting, and the gunman bought his guns minutes after he turned 18.
“Just 23 minutes after midnight on his 18th birthday, the Uvalde shooter bought an AR-15 made by a company with a market share of less than one percent,” attorney Josh Koskoff said in a statement. “Why? Because, well before he was old enough to purchase it, he was targeted and cultivated online by Instagram, Activision and Daniel Defense. This three-headed monster knowingly exposed him to the weapon, conditioned him to see it as a tool to solve his problems and trained him to use it.”
Koshkof successfully sued the manufacturer of the gun used in the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting, winning $73 million for victims’ families.
The lawsuit against Daniel Defense argues that the company intentionally markets its killing machines to adolescents and uses Instagram and first person shooter games to promote them.
Koshkof said 31 family members of victims on the Uvalde shooting are filing that lawsuit, which will be filed in Texas. The lawsuit against Activision and Meta is filed by 45 family members.
“The Uvalde shooting was horrendous and heartbreaking in every way, and we express our deepest sympathies to the families and communities who remain impacted by this senseless act of violence,” a spokesperson for Activision said. “Millions of people around the world enjoy video games without turning to horrific acts.”
A lobbying organization for such video games, however, was more direct in condemning attempts to hold murder game manufacturers responsible for the actions of people who play them.
“We are saddened and outraged by senseless acts of violence,” said an Entertainment Software Association spokesperson. “At the same time, we discourage baseless accusations linking these tragedies to video gameplay, which detract from efforts to focus on the root issues in question and safeguard against future tragedies. Many other countries have similar rates of video gameplay to the United States, yet do not see similar rates of gun violence.
Representatives for Daniel Defense and Meta did not respond to requests for comment.
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[Featured image: FILE – A child looks at a memorial site for the victims killed in this week’s shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, Friday, May 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills, File)]
