Two years after the Uvalde school massacre, families of victims filed multiple state lawsuits against social media giant Meta, video game maker Activision, and AR-15 manufacturer Daniel Defense. The wrongful death lawsuits were filed in California and Texas and come after a $2 million settlement with the city of Uvalde. Attorney Josh Koskoff is representing the families, alleging that the companies have been partner’s in a scheme that preys on insecure adolescent boys.
The lawsuits claim that Instagram, Activision, and Daniel Defense enabled and emboldened firearm manufacturers to expand the market for their weapons, granting direct access to children. The gunman in the Uvalde shooting, on his 18th birthday, purchased the AR-15 after being targeted and cultivated online by the companies. The lawsuits allege that the video game “Call of Duty” played a role in conditioning the gunman to see the weapon as a tool to solve his problems, as it prominently features a model of the AR-15 used in the shooting.
According to the lawsuits, the gunman had been playing “Call of Duty” games since he was 15 and downloaded “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare,” which prominently features the AR-15 model used in the shooting. The lawsuits claim that Instagram aggressively marketed to the gunman, while Daniel Defense used the platform to glorify the use of its weapons. The gunman created an account with Daniel Defense and purchased the weapon just eight days before the shooting, on his 18th birthday.
Attorney Josh Koskoff stated in an interview that the lawsuits are working in concert with each other, accusing Instagram of creating a connection between adolescents and firearms through aggressive marketing. Activision expressed sympathy for the families impacted by the Uvalde shooting, noting that millions of people enjoy video games without resorting to violence. The families also plan to file a $500 million federal lawsuit against state police officers and school officials for their response to the shooting.
An extensive Justice Department report released in January found a series of failures in the law enforcement response to the Uvalde shooting. The report highlighted that 77 minutes elapsed from when law enforcement first arrived on the scene to when the suspect was confronted and killed. The families of the victims hope to hold the companies and individuals accountable for their role in the tragedy, seeking justice through the legal system. The lawsuits represent a significant step towards seeking accountability and addressing the issues surrounding the Uvalde school massacre.
