(Reuters) — The father of a 10-year-old woman slain within the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting and a school worker have taken preliminary steps that might result in lawsuits against Daniel Defense, the maker of the semiautomatic rifle utilized in final week’s bloodbath that killed 21 folks.
Lawyers for Alfred Garza, father of Robb Elementary School pupil Amerie Jo Garza, requested in a letter on Friday that Daniel Defense present information about its advertising and marketing to teenagers and kids.
“We ask you to begin providing information to us now, rather than force Mr. Garza to file a lawsuit to obtain it,” stated the letter.
No lawsuits have but been introduced against Daniel Defense stemming from the shooting.
Daniel Defense of Black Creek, Georgia didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The 18-year-old Uvalde gunman, Salvador Ramos, stormed the school on May 24 and killed 19 college students and two academics earlier than he was killed by legislation enforcement, in line with authorities.
He legally bought his first gun on his 18th birthday on May 17.
Josh Koskoff, Garza’s legal professional, led the case over the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012, which led to a $73 million settlement by gunmaker Remington in February. It marked the primary vital settlement over a mass shooting against a gunmaker, that are protected by a federal legislation from lawsuits.
“Sandy Hook in Connecticut is not binding on the Texas court but that doesn’t mean it lacks persuasive power,” stated Koskoff.
Koskoff informed Reuters he was making use of what he discovered from the Sandy Hook case to his present investigation, specializing in advertising and marketing to youngsters and youths and product placements in first-person shooter video video games.
“The shooter, essentially the day he turned 18, he knew exactly what weapons he was getting,” stated Koskoff.
In a separate authorized action, school worker Emilia Marin filed papers in Texas state court docket looking for an order to depose Daniel Defense and drive the corporate to show over paperwork, additionally associated to its advertising and marketing. Marin is listed as a speech pathologist clerk on the school’s web site.
Marin’s submitting late on Thursday is a petition that enables a celebration to start investigating potential claims.
Gun producers are usually shielded from lawsuits over legal use of their firearms by a federal legislation known as the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, or PLCAA.
However, the Connecticut Supreme Court in 2019 dominated that gun firm Remington Arms could possibly be sued by households of Sandy Hook victims below a PLCAA exception as a result of the gunmaker Remington allegedly violated state advertising and marketing legal guidelines.