DENVER (KDVR) — Five more Colorado families have joined a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the gun used in the King Soopers mass shooting in March 2021.
“You know, they want justice for their family members. That’s why they joined this suit, and if this does anything to prevent this from happening to someone like them, or what happened today in Nashville, that’s all anyone can do,” Attorney Andrew Garza, lead attorney representing the families, told FOX31.
The families of Suzanne Fountain, Neven Stanisic, Denny Stong, Lynn Murray, Jody Waters and Kevin Mahoney are all now suing Sturm, Ruger & Co. The suit is expected to be filed in Superior Court in Stamford, Connecticut later this week.
Lawyers for the families claim Sturm, Ruger & Co. marketed the weapon used in the shooting that killed 10 people at the Boulder supermarket in a way that promoted its ability to kill, and glorified lone gunmen.
“This case, we believe the evidence will show they marketed what were effectively short-barreled rifles, which would be illegal to possess under state and federal law in Colorado, to get them into more hands. They knew these were assault weapons, they knew they were killing machines, and they did everything they could to get them into every state they could, regardless of the laws,” Garza said.
Though firearms makers enjoy broad immunity when it comes to lawsuits, Garza said there is precedent in cases like this.
Families of those killed in the Sandy Hook school massacre in Connecticut settled with gun maker Remington for $73 million in a case that hinged on how Remington marketed their Bushmaster rifle.
Garza said the case against Ruger in the Boulder shooting is as strong as the Sandy Hook case, or stronger.
“And we believe that through the course of discovery, the true scope of what Ruger knew and made decisions to market to regarding will come to light,” he said.
Representatives from Sturm, Ruger & Co., based in Connecticut where the suit will be filed, haven’t yet commented.