Families Of Newtown Victims Sue Rifle Manufacturer

Family members of some of the victims of the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., have filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer, distributor and seller of the rifle used by the gunman to kill 26 people.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of 10 victims claims that the Bushmaster AR-15 rifle never should have been sold to the public because it is a military weapon. Nine of the families suing lost members in the shooting. Natalie Hammond, another plaintiff, was a teacher at the school who survived the rampage.

The Associated Press reports:

"In addition to Bushmaster, the families have named Camfour, a firearm distributor, and Riverview Gun Sales, the store where the Bushmaster rifle was purchased in 2010. Messages seeking comment from the defendants were not immediately returned.

"The 40-page complaint was filed in superior court in Bridgeport."

It was two years ago yesterday that 20-year-old Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School and opened fire, fatally shooting 20 children — some as young as 5 years old — and six adults.

The Wall Street Journal adds:

"'There is so much ample evidence of the inability of the civilian world to control these weapons, that it is no longer reasonable to entrust them to [them] for that purpose,' Joshua Koskoff, an attorney representing the families, said in an interview. 'How many massacres do there have to be before that is realized?'

"In an article published in the Washington Times on June 14, 2013, George Kollitides, the chief executive of Remington Outdoor Company, was quoted as saying that Mr. Lanza alone, and not the rifle, was to blame for the killings.

" 'It's very easy to blame an inanimate object,' Mr. Kollitides said. 'Any kind of instrument in the wrong hands can be put to evil use. This comes down to intent — criminal behavior, accountability and responsibility.' "