Uvalde families sue Meta, video game creator and gunmaker
Families impacted by the Uvalde school shooting have initiated legal action against the gun manufacturer, a video game developer, and Meta, the parent company of Instagram.
Alleging that these entities contributed to the promotion of hazardous weaponry to vulnerable youths, including the 18-year-old assailant, the lawsuits highlight the tragic loss of nineteen children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School.
Commemorating the second anniversary of the Texas school tragedy, the dual lawsuits, filed in Texas and California, target Activision, creator of the popular military video game series “Call of Duty,” Daniel Defense, renowned for its high-end rifles, and Meta.
The plaintiffs assert that these companies played a role in cultivating a culture where young individuals translate violent video game scenarios into real-life actions facilitated by easily obtainable combat firearms.
Utilizing an AR-15-style rifle, Salvador Ramos perpetrated the attack. The lawsuits argue that Meta and Activision knowingly exposed him to the firearm he employed in Uvalde, fostering a mindset that viewed it as a solution to his challenges.
Attorneys representing the families underscored the collaboration between Instagram, Activision, and Daniel Defense, labeling it a predatory scheme targeting insecure adolescent boys.
The legal documents emphasize a direct connection between the defendant’s actions and the Uvalde tragedy.
They assert that the combined influence of these companies led Ramos to perceive the weapon as a problem-solving tool, effectively training him in its use. Notably, the lawsuits highlight the gunman’s exposure to “Call of Duty” since the age of 15, alongside targeted advertising efforts by Daniel Defense on Instagram.
“Instagram creates a connection between …an adolescent …and the gun and a gun company,” Josh Koskoff, the plaintiffs’ attorney, told the BBC’s US media partner CBS, on Friday.
“And nobody exploited Instagram for this purpose more than Daniel Defense.”
An Activision spokesperson told CBS that the “Uvalde shooting was horrendous and heartbreaking in every way”, adding that the company expresses its “deepest sympathies” to victims and their families.
“Millions of people around the world enjoy video games without turning to horrific acts”, the spokesman said.
The BBC has reached out to Meta, Daniel Defense and Activision for comment.
Daniel Defense, which is facing other lawsuits filed by some victims’ families, said in a 2022 statement that such litigation was “frivolous” and “politically motivated”.
On Wednesday, families of the victims reached a $2m (£1.5m) settlement with the city of Uvalde.
More than 370 officers from various local, state and federal departments were at Robb Elementary during the attack.
It took police more than an hour to stop the gunman, who was barricaded inside adjoining classrooms.
Additionally, the families announced that they will be taking new legal action against 92 individual officers from the state’s Department of Public Safety for “shocking and extensive failures” during the shooting response.
