Family members of the people of Uvalde, Texas, where a teenage shooter killed 19 elementary school students and two teachers, are suing Meta Platforms, which owns Instagram, and the makers of the video game “Call of Duty,” claiming the companies are liable for the products the shooter used.
The lawsuit also names Daniel Defense, the manufacturer of the AR-15 assault rifle used in the mass murder at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022. The lawsuit was filed Friday, the second anniversary of the shooting.
“There is a direct connection between the actions of these companies and the Uvalde shooting,” said Josh Koskoff, the family’s attorney. “This three-headed monster knowingly showed him a weapon, made him think it was the solution to his problems, and trained him to use it.”
Uvalde School Shooting: One Year Later
A memorial outside the school following the mass shooting inside Robb Elementary School in May 2022. Families affected by the tragedy are suing multiple businesses for their involvement in the shooting. (REUTERS/Kaylee Greenlee Beale)
The amount of damages sought has not been disclosed.
The lawsuit said the Uvalde shooter began playing various versions of “Call of Duty” as early as age 15, including one that allowed him to effectively practice with a version of the rifle he carried at school. The family also accused Instagram of doing little to enforce its rules banning marketing of firearms and content harmful to children.
Trade groups for the video game industry also disagreed, blaming games for causing the violence, saying studies had not found a link to the massacres.
“We are saddened and outraged by these senseless acts of violence. At the same time, we ask that you stop making unfounded accusations linking these tragedies to playing video games, as this undermines efforts to focus on the root issues and prevent future tragedies,” the Entertainment Software Association told Fox News Digital.
“The Uvalde shooting was horrific and heartbreaking in every sense of the word, and we express our deepest sympathies to the family and community affected by this senseless act of violence,” a spokesperson for Activision, the maker of the video game, told Fox News Digital. “Millions of people around the world enjoy playing video games without resorting to horrific acts.”
Texas officials: Uvalde shooting report reveals ‘multiple systemic flaws’
FILE – Reg Daniels speaks during a memorial service at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, Thursday, June 9, 2022. The 19 fourth-graders and two teachers killed at the school are remembered on the second anniversary of the deadliest school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Friday, May 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) (Associated Press)
During a 2022 congressional hearing, Daniel Defense CEO Marty Daniels called the Uvalde shooting and similar incidents “pure evil” and “deeply disturbing.”
On Wednesday, families affected by the tragedy filed a separate $500 million lawsuit against 91 Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers and the local school district over their response to the shooting.
Local law enforcement officials have been heavily criticized for their reluctance to confront the shooter, though some say doing so may have saved lives.
“Do you think the city of Uvalde has enough funding, training and resources? Do you think they can hire the best people,” Koskoff said at a press conference this week. “Their position seems to be when it comes to the state of Texas, you’re on your own.”
More than 370 federal, state and local law enforcement officers converged on the scene, but waited more than 70 minutes for a team led by Border Patrol agents to confront the gunman and shoot him to death.
Javier Cazares, center, stands with family members of victims of the Uvalde Elementary School shooting during a press conference on Wednesday in Uvalde, Texas. Family members of 19 of the victims announced they would be suing about 100 state troopers involved in the failed law enforcement response. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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“The nearly 100 Texas Department of Public Safety officers who watched in horror while my daughter and nephew bled to death in their classrooms have yet to be held accountable,” Veronica Luevanos, whose daughter Jayla and nephew Jace were killed, said in a statement reported by the Texas Tribune.
Fox News Digital reached out to Meta, Daniel Defense and the creators of Call of Duty.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
