I heard the news today, and read this in the Atlantic online:
Sandy Hook Lawsuit Moves Forward
A Connecticut judge refused to throw out a case against the company that makes a weapon used in the 2012 shootings.
By Matt Vasilogambros 1:55 PM ET U.S.
A state Superior Court judge in Connecticut on Thursday refused to throw out a lawsuit against Bushmaster Firearms, the gun manufacturer that makes the rifle used in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings that left 28 people dead in late 2012.
The families of the victims, which included 20 children and six school staff members, sued the gun manufacturer, arguing the AR-15 rifle Adam Lanza used in the shooting should never have been sold to civilians. This is a potentially devastating blow to the gun industry, which has been protected by federal law from being held liable for crimes committed with its products.
Here’s the link to the full story: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2016/04/sandy-hook-guns-lawsuit/478314/?utm_source=atl-daily-newsletter
There is a 2005 federal law giving immunity from liability to gun manufacturers whose weaponry was purchased and used in mass murder such as the Sandy Hook shooting. This Connecticut state judge refused to bow down to it–at least not at this early stage.
Whatever happens in the end–and I strongly suspect the case will go to the Supreme Court–it is a warning shot, dare I say, across the bow of the NRA and its wholly-owned representatives in Congress.