The families of schoolchildren shot at Robb Elementary School in 2022 have filed lawsuits against Instagram, the publisher of the “Call of Duty” video game, and a manufacturer of semiautomatic rifles. The lawsuits accuse these companies of helping to train and equip the teenage gunman who committed the massacre. The suits specifically focus on the interaction between the gunman and these companies leading up to the shooting. The suits claim that each company played a role in “grooming” the teenager to become a mass shooter, making it one of the most far-reaching actions in response to mass shootings in the United States.
The lawsuits argue that gun maker Daniel Defense would not have been able to connect with the socially isolated teenage gunman in rural Texas without the assistance of technology and video game companies. The families involved are also represented by a lawyer who has previously challenged gunmakers over mass shootings, reaching a $73 million settlement with Remington, the maker of an AR-15-style rifle used in the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting. The suits face significant hurdles, including federal laws that have protected online platforms from liability for content posted by others and gun makers from liability for shootings.
The suits also target Activision, the publisher of the popular “Call of Duty” franchise, highlighting the role of violent first-person shooter games in advertising the weapons they depict. Documents surfaced during the Sandy Hook case showed licensing agreements between gun manufacturers and video game makers like Activision. The Uvalde families are suing Activision and Instagram in California for their involvement in the alleged conduct leading up to the shooting. The suits argue that Activision is the most effective marketer of assault weapons in the United States due to the realistic firearms simulations featured in their games.
The intersection of social media and gun culture has become a focus for gun-control advocates, with efforts to limit gun-related content targeted towards children. Lawsuits linking social media companies to mass shootings have emerged, targeting platforms like YouTube, Reddit, and now Instagram. The lawsuits argue that social media companies were responsible for addicting the shooter, then radicalizing him and helping to equip him for the deadly attack. Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun-control advocacy group, has been involved in litigation against gun makers and police officers over mass shootings.
The lawsuits also target Daniel Defense, a family-owned business based in Georgia that has a history of provocative advertising. The gun manufacturer has been successful with a direct-to-consumer model for ordering military gear online. The filings point to an email sent to the gunman, Salvador Ramos, from Daniel Defense offering to sell him a weapon before he was 18, which would violate Texas law. The suit accuses the company of aggressive marketing through social media and the “Call of Duty” video game, which prominently featured the rifle model used by the gunman.
Information from the gunman’s phone was used in the court filings to illustrate his growing obsession with weapons and accessories associated with the video game Modern Warfare. By December 2021, the gunman was researching the specific model of the rifle he would use in the massacre and saving money to purchase it. He eventually bought the rifle on his 18th birthday, just 23 minutes after midnight. The lawsuits filed by the families are seeking to hold these companies accountable for their alleged role in grooming and equipping the shooter who carried out the tragic mass shooting at Robb Elementary School.
