Survivors and families of those killed in the July 4 mass shooting at a parade in Highland Park, Ill. filed 11 lawsuits Wednesday against gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson.
The suit alleges that the gun manufacturer should've known its ads would appeal to potentially dangerous, “impulsive young men.” The ads reportedly used a shooter’s point-of-view popular in video games.
Landmark lawsuits like this are likely to continue to hold gun manufacturers responsible for their weapons being used to commit atrocities. In turn, companies will look to avoid these suits by making their products safer and stopping their targeted advertising. Litigation is a major tool for fighting back against these mass shooting tragedies.
It’s absurd to think that marketing by the gun industry causes acts of mass violence. When marketing a gun’s concealability, magazine capacity, or effectiveness, manufacturers are appealing to lawful gun users and can’t be accountable if a few end up in the hands of criminals. The government and activists should focus their energy and lawsuits on the criminals instead of the gun companies.