On Wednesday, the families of two victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting sued the manufacturer and seller of the Smith & Wesson M&P 15 .223 rifle used in the Valentine’s Day shooting.
As the Sun-Sentinel reports, Fred and Jennifer Guttenberg, the parents of Jaime Guttenberg, and Max Schachter, the father of Alex Schachter, are pursuing American Outdoor Brands, formerly known as Smith & Wesson, and Sunrise Tactical Supply, where the Parkland shooter purchased the weapon used in the shooting.
The lawsuit, filed in Broward Circuit Court, states that the plaintiffs “seek to hold defendants legally responsible for their complicity in the entirely foreseeable, deadly use of the assault-style weapons that they place on the market.”
The lawsuit can proceed if judges deem gun manufacturers and sellers can be sued by victims.
The plaintiffs’ attorneys referred to Florida Statute 790.331, which bans state, county and city government agencies from suing businesses for legally manufacturing and selling weapons that are later used unlawfully. They noted, “A confusingly written Florida statute stands in the way. If the defendants claim that [the law] entitles them to immunity from such claims, and the courts agree,” the plaintiffs will have to pay the gun maker’s and seller’s legal fees instead of being awarded damages.
The Parkland shooter legally purchased his weapon a year before the Valentine’s Day shooting.
Fred Guttenberg later tweeted: