{"id":295,"date":"2022-09-29T15:20:40","date_gmt":"2022-09-29T15:20:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/?p=295"},"modified":"2022-09-29T15:20:40","modified_gmt":"2022-09-29T15:20:40","slug":"highland-park-victims-families-sue-smith-wesson-for-making-and-selling-a-legal-firearm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/?p=295","title":{"rendered":"Highland Park Victims, Families Sue Smith &#038; Wesson For Making and Selling a Legal Firearm"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"td-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Robert-Crimo.jpg\" data-caption=\"\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"696\" height=\"510\" class=\"entry-thumb td-modal-image\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Robert-Crimo-696x510.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Robert-Crimo-696x510.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Robert-Crimo-300x220.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Robert-Crimo-700x513.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Robert-Crimo-768x563.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Robert-Crimo-150x110.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Robert-Crimo-573x420.jpg 573w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Robert-Crimo-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Robert-Crimo-560x410.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Robert-Crimo.jpg 770w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" alt=\"Robert Crimo\" title=\"Robert Crimo\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-next-post-navi\">\n<p>\nNext Post Coming Soon&#8230;\u25b6\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Following the settlement reached between the Sandy Hook families and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2022\/02\/15\/us\/sandy-hook-shooting-settlement-with-remington\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">what remains of the old Remington<\/a>, victims and families of high profile shootings \u2014 usually backed by gun control industry attorneys \u2014 now see what they think is a way to skirt the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. Their new tack is to claim \u201cmisleading advertising\u201d somehow convinces would-be killers to buy their firearm and shoot innocent people with it.<\/p>\n<p>The latest target of this ploy is Smith &amp; Wesson.<\/p>\n<p>The Highland Park killer \u2014 the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/highland-park-shooter-dressed-in-womens-clothes-to-blend-in-with-the-crowd-during-his-escape\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dress-wearing<\/a> incel who shot dozens of parade-goers from a rooftop on July 4 \u2014 used a Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P 15 rifle. Yesterday, survivors and family-members of those who were killed sued Smith &amp; Wesson in an Illinois court (lawsuit <a href=\"https:\/\/everytownsupportfund.org\/documents\/2022\/09\/highland-park-roberts-stamped-complaint.pdf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/highland-park-july-4-shooting-gun-violence-chicago-873c61100a4d0a44842e82cd75fd8427\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">From the AP<\/a> . . .<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The group\u2019s strategy mirrors the approach used by relatives of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook school killings, who in\u00a0February reached a $73 million settlement with the firearm company\u00a0that produced the rifle used in that attack. That was believed to be the largest payment by a gun-maker related to a mass killing and hinged on the families\u2019 accusation that Remington violated Connecticut consumer protection law by marketing its AR-15-style weapons to young men already at risk of committing violence.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The suit names not only Smith &amp; Wesson for making the weapon the shooter used, but also Buds Gun Shop for selling it as well as Red Dot Arms in Lake Villa, Illinois for transferring the firearm. The shooter and his father are also named in the suit.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Advertising text also billed the rifle as \u201ccapable of handling as many rounds as you are\u201d and providing \u201cpure adrenaline.\u201d One ad shows the M&amp;P 15 on a dark background above the phrase \u201ckick brass\u201d in a bold red font and capital letters.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>\u201cThe advertisements and marketing tactics described above demonstrate that Smith &amp; Wesson knowingly marketed, advertised, and promoted the Rifle to civilians for illegal purposes, including to carry out offensive, military style combat missions against their perceived enemies,\u201d [Highland Park survivor Liz Turnipseed\u2019s] attorneys argue.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/everytownsupportfund.org\/documents\/2022\/09\/highland-park-roberts-stamped-complaint.pdf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lawsuit<\/a> claims that Smith &amp; Wesson\u2019s advertising uses \u201cmilitary, patriotic, and law enforcement themes\u201d and the company\u2019s ads are similar to first person shooter video games such as Call of Duty which the killer allegedly played.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-532213 size-full\" alt=\"\" width=\"554\" height=\"680\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/game.jpg 554w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/game-244x300.jpg 244w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/game-150x184.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/game-300x368.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/game-342x420.jpg 342w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 554px) 100vw, 554px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/game.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-532213 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/game.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"554\" height=\"680\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/game.jpg 554w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/game-244x300.jpg 244w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/game-150x184.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/game-300x368.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/game-342x420.jpg 342w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 554px) 100vw, 554px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Plaintiffs also cited Smith\u2019s ads portraying its firearms as the choice of \u201con-duty service members.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-532214 size-full\" alt=\"\" width=\"690\" height=\"526\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith.png 690w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith-300x229.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith-150x114.png 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith-551x420.png 551w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith-80x60.png 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith-560x427.png 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith.png\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-532214 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"690\" height=\"526\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith.png 690w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith-300x229.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith-150x114.png 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith-551x420.png 551w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith-80x60.png 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith-560x427.png 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>The plaintiffs claim Smith\u2019s ads \u201cdeliberately \u2014 and misleadingly \u2014 show the weapons being used not in a civilian context but by what are made to appear to be members of the U.S. military on active military duty.\u201d They then criticize Smith &amp; Wesson for its lack of military sales.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-532215 size-large\" alt=\"\" width=\"696\" height=\"395\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith2-700x397.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith2-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith2-768x436.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith2-150x85.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith2-696x395.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith2-740x420.jpg 740w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith2-560x318.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith2.jpg 809w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith2-700x397.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-532215 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith2-700x397.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"696\" height=\"395\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith2-700x397.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith2-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith2-768x436.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith2-150x85.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith2-696x395.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith2-740x420.jpg 740w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith2-560x318.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/smith2.jpg 809w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>In other words, the plaintiffs claim Smith &amp; Wesson makes \u201cweapons of war\u201d that aren\u2019t sold to the U.S. military.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe most surprising is the fact that the plaintiffs\u2019 attorneys seem to be confused about not only the features of Smith\u2019s semi-automatic M&amp;P 15 rifle, but the laws surrounding their sale. They claim that . . .<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Smith &amp; Wesson violated both the NFA and the Gun Control Act (\u201cGCA\u201d) by manufacturing, transferring, and selling these weapons without filling out the appropriate transfer forms, getting approval of the forms by the ATF, paying occupational and transfer taxes or registering the firearms.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The plaintiffs attorneys have a high opinion of themselves.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>\u201cThere\u2019s certainly a long path, and it\u2019s an uphill battle,\u201d [attorney Ari] Scharg said. \u201cBut I think this is the most important case in the country being litigated right now \u2026 and we\u2019re going to see it through to the end.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This will take years to litigate and will cost Smith &amp; Wesson millions of dollars to defend\u2026which is, of course, the point.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-next-post-navi\">\n<p>\nNext Post Coming Soon&#8230;\u25b6\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/highland-park-victims-families-sue-smith-wesson-for-making-and-selling-a-legal-firearm\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Next Post Coming Soon&#8230;\u25b6 \u00a0 Following the settlement reached between the Sandy Hook families and what remains of the old Remington, victims and families of high profile shootings \u2014 usually backed by gun control industry attorneys \u2014 now see what they think is a way to skirt the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":296,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-295","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reviews"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=295"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=295"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=295"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}