Court clears way for Sandy Hook lawsuit against gunmakers

The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a lawsuit against firearm manufacturers brought by the families of victims of the Sandy Hook massacre could go to court, according to The New York Times.

The ruling could require firearms companies to give the families access to internal communications they have tried to keep secret.

The plaintiffs, who include nine family members of victims and one survivor, argue that the companies that made the weapons used in the deadly shooting at an elementary school are partly responsible. They also allege that the AR-15-style Bushmaster used by the gunman was marketed as a weapon of war. 

{mosads}“The regulation of advertising that threatens the public’s health, safety, and morals has long been considered a core exercise of the states’ police powers,” Justice Richard Palmer wrote in the majority opinion, according to The Associated Press. 

Remington, the manufacturer of the Bushmaster, has argued that it can’t be sued due to federal laws.

The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act prohibits civil liability actions from being brought against firearms manufacturers in state or federal court, but includes an exception for violation of marketing laws. 

“The families’ goal has always been to shed light on Remington’s calculated and profit-driven strategy to expand the AR-15 market and court high-risk users, all at the expense of Americans’ safety,” the plaintiffs’ lawyer Joshua Koskoff said Thursday, the AP reported. “Today’s decision is a critical step toward achieving that goal.”

This should be a wake-up call to the gun industry that it is not immune from accountability. Today is a major step forward for survivors and families seeking justice for reckless gun industry practices. https://t.co/U0ZkQHAXP4

— Everytown (@Everytown) March 14, 2019

In 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza killed 26 people, including 20 first-grade children, at the school in Newtown, Conn. 

The Hill has reached out to Remington for comment. 

Updated at 1:10 p.m.