In an order issued Tuesday morning, the Supreme Court denied Remington Arms’ petition for the court to decide whether or not the gun manufacturer could be sued by the families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre in Connecticut, thereby allowing the lawsuit to continue through the lower courts for now.
The case of Remington Arms v. Soto deals with whether Remington — which manufactured the modern sporting rifle used in the massacre — can be held liable in the matter because of how it advertised the gun.
While Congress passed a federal law in 2005 to shield gunmakers from liability when their products are used for criminal acts by third parties, the plaintiffs in the case claim that the advertising strategy violated Connecticut law governing fair trade practices by supposedly encouraging illegal use by associating it with the military.
“The Bushmaster Defendants’ militaristic marketing reinforces the image of the AR-15 as a combat weapon used for the purpose of waging war and killing human beings,” the initial complaint said. – READ MORE