Families in Uvalde, the Texas city where a teenage gunman killed 19 elementary school students and two teachers, are suing Meta Platforms, which owns Instagram, and the maker of the video game “Call of Duty,” alleging the companies bear responsibility for products used by the shooter.
Also named in the lawsuit is Daniel Defense, the maker of the AR-15 assault rifle used in the May 24, 2022 massacre at Robb Elementary School. The lawsuit was filed Friday, on the two-year anniversary of the shooting.
“There is a direct line between the conduct of these companies and the Uvalde shooting,” said Josh Koskoff, an attorney for the families. “This three-headed monster knowingly exposed him to the weapon, conditioned him to see it as a tool to solve his problems and trained him to use it.”
The Uvalde shooter had played versions of “Call of Duty” since he was 15, including one that allowed him to effectively practice with the version of the rifle he used at the school, according to the lawsuit. The families also accused Instagram of doing little to enforce its rules that ban marketing firearms and harmful content to children.
