Families of some of the victims of the Uvalde school shooting have announced new legal action against three companies they claim effectively helped “train” the gunman to carry out the attack.
On the second anniversary of the attack in Texas, United States, legal action was announced against Instagram’s parent company, Meta Platforms, the creator of the Call Of Duty video game series and the company that manufactured the gun used in the May shooting. of 2022.
Salvador Ramos, 18 years old, murdered 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022.
The new legal cases accuse the companies of conspiring to promote and create content designed to glorify combat, gun violence and murder.
Josh Koskoff, an attorney for the families, called the companies a “three-headed monster” that “knowingly exposed [the gunman] to the gun, conditioned him to see it as a tool to solve his problems and trained him to use it.
“There is a direct line between the conduct of these companies and the Uvalde shooting,” Mr. Koskoff said.
According to the lawsuits, Ramos had played versions of Call Of Duty since he was 15, including one that allowed him to effectively practice with the version of the rifle he used in school.
He stated that the company created a “hyper-realistic” game in which “although the killing is virtual, the weapons are authentic: they are designed to perfectly mimic their real-life counterparts in look, feel, recoil and accuracy.”
‘Failures’ in Uvalde school shooting
The legal action claims that Instagram does little to enforce rules prohibiting the marketing of firearms and content harmful to children.
It also accuses gun manufacturer Daniel Defense of using the social media platform to help “glorify the illegal and murderous use of its weapons.”
Some of the same families also filed a $500 million (£392 million) lawsuit against Texas State Police officials and officers who responded to the shooting, but He waited more than an hour to confront Ramos. inside the classroom while students and teachers lay dead, dying or injured.
‘Unfounded accusations’
Call Of Duty creators Activision called the shooting “horrendous and heartbreaking in every way.”
The company added its “deepest condolences” to the “families and communities who continue to be affected by this senseless act of violence.”
But he added: “Millions of people around the world enjoy video games without resorting to horrible acts.”
Activision called the shooting “horrendous and heartbreaking in every way.” Photo: AP
The Entertainment Software Association, a video game industry trade group, also said it was “outraged by senseless acts of violence” but rejected blaming the games for the violence, arguing that the investigation has found no link.
“We do not support unfounded accusations linking these tragedies to video games, which detract from efforts to focus on the fundamental issues at hand and safeguard against future tragedies,” the group said.
Read more from Sky News:
Judge rejects Baldwin’s request to dismiss charge
Kelly Rowland responds to fight with security guard
Documentary filmmaker Super Size Me dies
Survivors and community members in the Uvalde town square Friday morning. Photo: AP
Daniel Defense and Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.
This is not the first legal action brought over the shooting.
In December 2022, a group of different plaintiffs filed a separate lawsuit against local and state police, the city and other school and law enforcement authorities, seeking at least $27 billion (£21 billion) and a status class action lawsuit for survivors.
At least two other lawsuits have also been filed against Daniel Defense.
Stay up to date with the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
To commemorate the second anniversary of the shooting, members of the Uvalde community planned a vigil for those killed.
In a letter, President Joe Biden said, “As we mark this solemn day, let us pray for those we lost, their loved ones, and all those who were injured.”
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25523084/VST_0709_Site.jpg?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1 "iPhones, Kindles, GChat: The Vergecast builds a tech company")
