BRIDGEPORT -- A judge heard arguments Monday on whether to dismiss a lawsuit against the maker of one of the guns used in the Sandy Hook tragedy, but did not yet rule.
Before the hearing started, lawyer for the plaintiffs Josh Koskoff, said it was a humbling privilege to represent the families of the victims.
"Undoubtedly it will be the most memorable case I've ever been involved in," said Koskoff.
Among the family members of the victims in attendance was 18-year-old Matthew Soto, who noted “my sister Vicki was murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School when I was 15.”
The families of nine children and adults killed at the Newtown school and a teacher that survived are suing Remington Arms, the parent company of Bushmaster Firearms, maker of the AR-15. They claim the company knew the rifle was meant for the military and is too dangerous to sell to civilians.
The AR-15's popularity among gun owners is unquestioned. But, its place in public is being tested not only by the 10 plaintiffs, but by many across the nation. On Monday, another major ruling impacted the gun: the Supreme Court ruled that the semi-automatic assault weapons and magazine bans put in place in Connecticut after the Sandy Hook tragedy is in fact constitutional.
On Monday, lawyers for Remington Arms argued the lawsuit should be thrown out because of a 2005 federal law that protects gun manufacturers from most lawsuits over criminal use of their products. This lawsuit appears to be the first of its kind against a gun manufacturer to claim an exception.
State Police say 20-year old Adam Lanza killed his victims using a model of the AR-15. According to authorities, his mother Nancy who was also killed by Adam, legally bought the rifle.
Twenty children and six educators were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.
“How many massacres until somebody says it's just not worth it anymore,” asked the plaintiffs' attorney, Josh Koskoff.
The plaintiffs say Remington is just as culpable and the distributor or dealer because it was their choice to entrust America’s “most notorious killing machine to the public, despite its association with mounting mass murders of civilians,” said Koskoff.
In May, the judge granted attorneys for the Sandy Hook families access to internal documents from Remington, whose marketing practices have been called into question my the plaintiffs' legal team.
