A trial date has been set for a lawsuit against Remington Arms brought by some of the families of victims and one survivor of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. They’re suing the weapons manufacturer for marketing the weapon used in the shooting to civilians. The suit is now in the discovery phase. That means plaintiffs can demand documents and private information about Remington’s business practices, in order to prepare for a trial in April 2018.
Bill Sherlach, whose wife Mary died in the massacre, says he never expected the lawsuit to get this far.
“We started this off, we knew it was gonna be a long shot, and originally we just started this to advance the conversation, to advance the discussion over this whole thing. We’re certainly thrilled to where this has come,” Sherlach says.
That doesn’t mean the trial is guaranteed to happen: Remington can still try to get the case thrown out by claiming that it doesn’t have merit. The company says they’re protected from liability because of a law called the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. That law prevents most lawsuits against gun companies when those guns are used in a crime, though there are a few exceptions.
Two other defendants are also named in the case: the distributor and seller of the gun. All the defendants’ attorneys declined to comment.