Uvalde Families File Lawsuit Against Meta Platforms and Activision Blizzard on Second Anniversary of Shooting

Uvalde Families File Lawsuit Meta Platforms Activision Blizzard Second Anniversary of Shooting Daniel Defense

By Jackelyn Cornejo , Parent Herald May 25, 01:20 am

Photo: (Photo : Brandon Bell/Getty Images )

On the second anniversary of the Robb Elementary School attack, families in Uvalde took additional lawsuits, indicting Meta Platforms (proprietor of Instagram) and the video game maker Activision Blizzard, responsible for "Call of Duty," claiming these companies share responsibility for products used by the teenage shooter.

Uvalde Families Also File Lawsuit Against Daniel Defense

Furthermore, they filed another indictment against Daniel Defense, the maker of the AR-style rifle used in the May 24, 2022, firing, which has already faced indictments. These indictments add to the escalating lawsuits related to the assault as the small Texas town remembered the commemoration of one of the bloody school shootings in U.S. history.

The gunman killed 19 students and two teachers before officers, who waited over an hour, finally confronted and shot him in the fourth-grade classroom.

Families' attorney Josh Koskoff declared, "There is a clear connection between the actions of these companies and the Uvalde shooting. They knowingly exposed him to the weapon, shaped his perception of it as a problem-solving tool, and instructed him in its use."

Earlier, some of the same families filed a $500 million lawsuit against Texas state police officials and officers involved in the flawed law enforcement response.

Over 370 federal, state, and local officers responded but delayed confronting the shooter inside the classroom, where students and teachers lay dead, dying, or wounded.

Friday's lawsuits are not the first to accuse technology companies of radicalizing or influencing mass shooters. Victims' families of a May 2022 attack at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket previously sued social media companies, including Meta and Instagram, over platform content.

The lawsuit against Georgia-based Daniel Defense was filed in Texas by the same 19 families who sued earlier in the week. The lawsuits against Meta and Activision Blizzard were filed in California with additional families of victims from the attack.

Activision described the Uvalde shooting as "horrendous and heartbreaking" and extended its deepest sympathies to the affected families and communities, emphasizing that millions enjoy video games without resorting to violence. A video game industry trade group also refuted claims linking games to violence, citing research showing no connection.

The Entertainment Software Association conveyed anguish and outrage over senseless acts of attack but prompted baseless allegations related to this disaster to video game play, declaring that such claims detract from efforts to address the root causes and prevent future incidents.

The new lawsuits did not specify the amount of damages being pursued.

Uvalde Shooter Played Versions of "Call of Duty"

As per the legal filings, the Uvalde shooter had been playing editions of "Call of Duty" since the age of 15, including one that enabled him to proficiently train with the rifle utilized in the school shooting.

The families also accused Instagram of failing to enforce its rules prohibiting the marketing of firearms and harmful content to children.

The shooter opened an online account with Daniel Defense before his 18th birthday and purchased the rifle as soon as he was legally able, the lawsuit states.

"On Instagram, the shooter was courted through explicit, aggressive marketing. Alongside hundreds of combat-themed images, Daniel Defense used Instagram to promote the illegal, murderous use of its weapons," the families' attorneys claimed.

Daniel Defense and Meta did not immediately respond to email requests for comment.

In a 2022 congressional hearing, Marty Daniels, CEO of Daniel Defense, characterized the Uvalde shooting and similar incidents as "pure evil" and "deeply disturbing."

A separate lawsuit filed by different plaintiffs in December 2022 seeks at least $27 billion and class-action status for survivors, targeting local and state police, the city, and other school and law enforcement agencies. At least two other legal actions have been filed against Daniel Defense.

In a letter to the community, President Joe Biden commended that on this solemn day, we should pray for those who vanished, their loved ones, and all those who were injured.