AUSTIN, Texas – On the second anniversary of the Robb Elementary School massacre, families in Uvalde filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms, which owns Instagram, and the manufacturer of the video game Call of Duty, alleging that the firms have responsibility for the adolescent gunman’s products.
They also filed another complaint against Daniel Defense, which manufactured the AR-style rifle used in the May 24, 2022, shooting and had previously been sued.
Uvalde Families Sue Meta And Call Of Duty Maker On Second Anniversary Of School Attack
It adds to the accumulating complaints over the incident, which occurred as the small Texas city gathered to commemorate the anniversary of one of the bloodiest school shootings in US history. The shooter killed 19 pupils and two teachers. Officers confronted and shot him after waiting more than an hour to enter the fourth-grade classroom.
“There is a direct line between the conduct of these companies and the Uvalde shooting,” said Josh Koskoff, a counsel for the family. “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.”
Some of the same families sued Texas state police leaders and policemen on Wednesday for $500 million for their roles in the bungled law enforcement response that day. More than 370 federal, state, and local authorities responded, but it took more than an hour to face the shooter inside the classroom, where students and teachers were dead, dying, or injured.
The lawsuits filed on Friday are not the first to accuse technology corporations of contributing to the radicalization or influence of mass shooters. Families of victims of a May 2022 grocery attack in Buffalo, New York, have sued social media firms, including Meta and Instagram, over content on their sites.
The same group of 19 families who sued on Wednesday filed a complaint against Georgia-based weapons manufacturer Daniel Defense in Texas. The complaint against Meta and Activision Blizzard, the creators of Call of Duty, was filed in California alongside additional relatives of victims of the attack.
Uvalde Families Sue Meta And Call Of Duty Maker On Second Anniversary Of School Attack
Activision described the Uvalde shooting as “horrendous and heartbreaking in every way” and expressed their condolences to the families and communities affected by this senseless act of violence. Millions of individuals worldwide enjoy video games without resorting to violent behavior.”
A trade association for the video game industry also argued, citing research findings, that there is no link between games and violence.
“We are horrified and angered by needless violence. At the same time, we oppose unfounded claims tying these tragedies to video games, which divert attention away from attempts to address the underlying issues and prevent future tragedies,” the Entertainment Software Association stated.
The amount of damages claimed in the new claims was not immediately apparent.
According to the claims, the Uvalde shooter had been playing Call of Duty since he was 15, including one that allowed him to practice with the rifle he used at school. The families also accused Instagram of failing to enforce its laws against marketing firearms and hazardous content to youngsters.
According to the lawsuit, the Uvalde shooter set up an online account with Daniel Defense before turning 18 and bought the rifle as soon as he could.
At the same time, aggressive, explicit marketing courted the shooter on Instagram. In addition to hundreds of photographs displaying and glorifying the pleasure of fighting, Daniel Defense utilized Instagram to promote the illegal, homicidal use of its weapons,” the families’ attorneys stated in a statement.
Daniel Defense and Meta did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
Uvalde Families Sue Meta And Call Of Duty Maker On Second Anniversary Of School Attack
In a congressional hearing in 2022, Daniel Defense CEO Marty Daniels described the Uvalde shooting as “pure evil” and “deeply disturbing.”
Different plaintiffs filed a separate complaint in December 2022 against local and state police, the city, and other educational and law enforcement organizations, seeking at least $27 billion and class-action status for survivors. At least two further lawsuits have been filed against Daniel Defense.
In Uvalde, community members planned a vigil to remember those who died. Other events included a bell ringing and a butterfly release at a nearby church.
“As we mark this solemn day, may we pray for those we lost, their loved ones, and all those who were wounded,” wrote President Joe Biden in a letter to the community. ___
This item has been amended to reflect that the shooter killed 19 children and two teachers.
SOURCE – (AP)
