The anti-gun group Brady United has brought two first-of-their-kind civil lawsuits against 13 defendants that manufacture and sell “ghost guns,” the outfit announced this week. The defendants are being accused of negligence, public nuisance and violation of business codes.
Brady is representing families of victims killed in a 2017 mass murder in California that left six people dead, including the killer, Kevin Neal. Neal allegedly used a “ghost gun” he built at home to commit the crime, despite being ordered by a judge to surrender all his weapons as part of a restraining order.
The suit argues that the defendants knew when they started their businesses that they would be supplying firearms to “criminals, killers, and others whose possession of firearms pose an unacceptably high threat of injury or death to others.”
The suit also uses a line of attack leveled against other gun companies by claiming their marketing materials “intentionally targeted prohibited persons and other dangerous individuals like Neal. Such tactics and practices were unfair, immoral, unethical, oppressive, and unscrupulous.”
“We shouldn’t have to say that those convicted of violent felonies and other people who are legally prohibited from possessing guns should not be able to possess guns. But some businesses put us all at risk by selling to virtually anyone DIY kits that can then be easily assembled into illegal, deadly, and untraceable assault weapons, all without a Brady background check or paper trail,” said Brady Legal Chief Counsel and co-counsel for the plaintiffs, Jonathan Lowy.
SEE ALSO: Nationwide Push to Ban ‘Ghost Guns’ Gains Steam with New Legislation
Cody Wilson, the director of Ghost Gunner Inc., one of the defendants, called the suits “low effort attempts to confuse the public and frustrate the lawful purpose of making your own firearms in California,” according to Claims Journal.
The cases were filed in Superior Court of Orange County and San Bernardino County.
Plaintiffs are asking for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
“Companies who evade state and federal gun safety laws in order to market gun kits to people who cannot lawfully buy or possess guns in California should face liability for their negligence,” said Brady co-counsel Amy Van Zant.
SEE ALSO: Schumer Calls on DOJ, ATF to Crack Down on ‘Ghost Guns’ (Gun Parts, Kits)
“Ghost guns” refer to firearms that can be manufactured at home from “80-percent” lowers or receivers. The ATF does not consider these receivers to be firearms because the products require special skills and tools to be turned into functioning parts. Manufacturing firearms for private use has been legal throughout the history of the United States.
There appears to be a coordinated attack against “ghost guns” by groups like Brady and Everytown for Gun Safety.
Just this year, California sued the ATF in September for its ghost gun policy, Hawaii banned ghost guns a week before, and Everytown filed a lawsuit in August asking the ATF to ban ghost gun possession. In July, a U.S. congressman filed a bill banning ghost gun milling machines. In June, Washington, D.C., sued popular 80-percent receiver manufacturer Polymer-80, and Rhode Island banned ghost guns the same month.
Biden supplied terrorists with guns,etc,in Afghanistan, arrest his ass
The Democrats should focus their efforts at gun control at the punks and thugs that carry stolen guns for the vast majority of assaults/deaths in this country. Just look at the school shooting in Arlington, TX just yesterday, the little thug ditched his or whoever’s pistol, turned himself in accompanied by an attorney. Why don’t they charge him with a HATE crime, the teacher was white. If they truly want equality, they should receive it all.
Why is it that the law abiding citizen takes it in the ass at every turn because of these brain dead bastards? If you don’t like firearms? Don’t buy one! As for the morons committing crimes with them? Why don’t you punish them instead of the guy following all of your rediculous rules and regs. And let’s face it people, some of them are down right stupid! The only thing this is helping is the Chinese Communist take over of the U.S. Not a shot will have to be fired. The Democrat party will see to that.
If they like gun bans so much, I suggest they move to China or Russia.
I was looking at my SOG Seal Pup knife the other day, and it dawned on me that it’s extremely dangerous, easy to use, no moving parts, easy to conceal, and…worst of all…it’s black. Then it dawned on me…It’s an Assault Knife. How long before they come for that?
One fellow was selling a 0% lower, just a block of aluminum with instructions. Is he guilty too? I buy material from Speedy Metals, if I buy a block of aluminum from them and machine it into a firearm, are they guilty? Fellers, the idiots are in charge of everything now.
Why doesn’t Brady sue the state of Connecticut for their failure in using their Red Flag law to prevent the Sandy Hook Massacre? Or the Broward school district for their repeated failure in not preventing the Parkland shooter for that mass shooting.
Must be some pretty stupid lawyers as these companies don’t sell firearms of any type. Case dismissed.
Typical gun-hater BS that will hopefully go nowhere. Since rifles in general account for only 4% of gun violence, home-built so-called “assault weapons” would sure account for a very tiny fraction of 1%. The impact on homicide of this blatant 2A trampling would be zilch and they know it.
The truth is most “ghost” guns in the hands of criminals are NOT home-built at all, and our legal American companies didn’t supply a single screw. They’re from illicit sweatshops protected by drug cartels in South America and are smuggled into this country with everything else that comes across our borders illegally.
Not to mention the weapons sold to the Latin Militaries and promptly stolen by the drug cartels.
When will it end ? There are laws against felons posessing guns. There are laws against murder, and use of guns in crimes. But thats never enough. So now lets ban or regulate steel and aluminum, drills and files and saws and welding eqpt. And ban computers and G code and paper and pens. Ban ideas and thought. Close Home Depot and hardware stores. Just ban and regulate everything because someday someone will do evil things with it. Oh. And ban gasoline and glass jars, rags and matches, bolt butters and grinders.
Or ban humanity. Why not.
Since when does a serial number on a gun prevents its criminal use ? Or make it less lethal ?
Its all Bullshit meant to effect the minds of idiots on the jury. The goal is a multifront war against all guns in civilian use. Its meant to accelerate the communist takeover of America