{"id":112106,"date":"2019-07-03T15:47:34","date_gmt":"2019-07-03T19:47:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=112106"},"modified":"2023-11-21T11:01:52","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T17:01:52","slug":"parents-of-las-vegas-massacre-victim-suing-colt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/parents-of-las-vegas-massacre-victim-suing-colt\/","title":{"rendered":"Parents of Las Vegas Massacre Victim Suing Colt, Ten Other Gun-Related Companies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Parents
The perpetrator of the Las Vegas massacre shot from his hotel room into a crowd of concert-goers. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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The parents of a woman killed at the Route 91 Harvest Musical Festival massacre in Las Vegas are suing Colt and ten other gun-related companies for what they\u2019re calling \u201cillegal, negligent, and wrongful conduct.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur precious daughter was murdered and it\u2019s only because of guns,\u201d Jim Parsons told Washington State news outlet KIRO 7<\/a>. His daughter, Carrie Parsons, was among the 58 people who died when a man opened fire on a crowded country music concert in 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEE ALSO:<\/strong> Nevada Judge Allows Suit Alleging AR-15s Should be Considered Machine Guns<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lawsuit alleges that Colt along with seven other gun manufacturers as well as gun shops in Utah and Nevada advertised the ability of AR-15s to be easily modified to mimic machine gun fire. It cites one gun manufacturer that partnered with a bump stock company to offer an AR-15 with an \u201cintegrated\u201d bump stock, and it mentions \u201cdozens\u201d of online videos demonstrating how to install a bump stock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even without the use of a bump stock, AR-15s are \u201cthinly disguised\u201d machine guns that manufacturers knew could be easily modified to produce automatic fire, the suit states. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It was only a question of when – not if – a gunman would take advantage of the ease of modifying AR-15s to fire automatically in order to substantially increase the body count during a mass shooting,” the lawsuit states<\/a>, according to the Associated Press. “Having created the conditions that made a mass shooting with a modified AR-15 inevitable, Defendant Manufacturers continued conducting business as usual.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEE ALSO: BREAKING: Connecticut Supreme Court Allows Sandy Hook Lawsuit against Remington to Move Forward<\/a> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The lawsuit uses language and strategy similar to the suit being brought against Remington by families of Sandy Hook victims. In that case, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that the lawsuit could proceed<\/a> on the grounds that Remington advertised its AR-15 Bushmaster rifle to promote its \u201cmilitaristic and assaultive qualities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lawyers for Carrie Parson\u2019s family are similarly attacking\nthe gun companies\u2019 advertising tactics and believe gun makers should be held\naccountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Parson\u2019s lawyer, Seattle-based attorney Rick Friedman of\nFriedman Rubin PLLP, told KIRO that the defendants are partially responsible because\n\u201cthey are co-conspirators. They\u2019ve worked for decades to get automatic weapons,\nweapons of war, into the hands of civilians, and that makes them culpable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not doing it for the money, and we\u2019re definitely not\ndoing it for the attention because we\u2019re not comfortable with that,\u201d Ann-Marie\nParsons, Carrie\u2019s mother, told KIRO. \u201cWe\u2019re doing it because somebody has to do\nsomething.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEE ALSO: Connecticut State Rep Wants to Tax Ammunition at 50% to \u2018Reduce Use\u2019<\/a> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gun makers are largely protected from frivolous civil lawsuits by a 2005 law known as the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCCA). The law has thus far succeeded in keeping anti-gun suits from moving forward, but attacking a company\u2019s advertising\u2014as opposed to its products\u2014could provide the gun-control lobby with a useful loophole. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commenting on the Sandy Hook case, Second Amendment\nFoundation founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb said the Connecticut\nSupreme Court\u2019s ruling \u201cstrains logic, if not common sense.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is like suing Ford or General Motors because a car they sold was stolen and used to run over a pedestrian all because the car manufacturers advertised that their car had better acceleration and performance than other vehicles,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n