The Supreme Court will allow a lawsuit against Remington Arms to go forward in Connecticut. The lawsuit was brought by family members of nine victims of the 2012 Newtown school shooting, along with a survivor.
The plaintiffs say Remington should be held liable because they made the gun used in the shooting – a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle.
Remington appealed, saying they were protected by a 2005 law protecting gunmakers from lawsuits when their weapons are used in crimes. Supreme Court justices turned the case away without comment.
Gun control advocates in Connecticut are applauding the decision.
“The gun industry and the gun lobby have been trying to convince Americans that AR-15s are modern sporting rifles, when in reality AR-15s are weapons of war that are used to hunt human beings in schools and churches and even in Walmart,” said Po Murray, chairwoman of the Newtown Action Alliance.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said the AR-15 should never have been marketed to civilians.
Josh Koskoff, attorney for the plaintiffs, said he is ready to bring the case to trial and shed light on Remington’s marketing strategies.
Representatives for Remington Arms did not respond to a request for comment.
