Families of Sniper Shooting Victims To Sue Rifle Maker

WJLA Channel 7 News (Washington, D.C.) on My Yahoo ^ | 01-16-2003 | WJLA News 7

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

Families of Sniper Shooting Victims To Sue Rifle Maker

Thu Jan 16, 8:13 AM

() - The families of two sniper shooting victims will file a lawsuit Thursday against the maker of the rifle used in the attacks, and the shop where the gun was sold or stolen.

The suit is brought on by the families of James "Sonny" Buchanan and Conrad Johnson.

It alleges that Bushmaster firearms and Bull's Eye Shooter Supply of Tacoma, Washington, showed "gross negligence" that "caused injuries and death."

The owners of the store, Brian Borgelt and Charles Carr and sniper suspects John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo are also named as defendants.

The families are seeking unspecified damages.

The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence is representing the families, who are seeking unspecified damages.

Bushmaster officials say they did nothing wrong by selling the gun.

The owners of the gun shop did not comment.

The families of two sniper shooting victims will file a lawsuit Thursday against the maker of the rifle used in the attacks, and the shop where the gun was sold or stolen.

The suit is brought on by the families of James "Sonny" Buchanan and Conrad Johnson.

© Copyright 2003 WJLA-TV

[gundog]

MO was under a restraining order, Malvo was a minor. Neither was able to buy from an FFL dealer...if this guy did a private sale, fine. Dumb, but fine. No, they didn't shoot anyone, but in todays litigous climate. they should have dotted every i and crossed every t. They have a lot of discrepencies to clear up...I think that being sued is almost academic; someone is going to prison.

[T Wayne]

In my 20 + years in the hunting and shooting sports industries, I know of several firearms that have been stolen from inventory by enterprizing (former)employees.

So be careful who you call crooks! I know very few people who will go through the hassle of having a FFL and then jepordize it to make a few bucks.

And then there is the BATF, just waiting!

[wayoverontheright]

Maybe the gun shop didn't report a missing gun but does that fix the blame on them for the sniper shootings? Geeze, I guess I had better look up the local law to see if I am liable if someone steals one of my guns then, months or years later, shoots someone or something with it.

I agree.

If I were family of one of these victims, justice for me would reside totally in securing the scheduled execution of the perpetrators. The act of extracting MONEY from the GUILTY, let alone downstream, unaware enablers would make me feel that I was dishonoring the memory of my departed loved one. How could one enjoy spending that kind of money?

[Argus]

Sue Islam, you morons. Saudi Arabia has even deeper pockets than the evil gun makers.

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

Sue Islam, you morons.

LOL!!! Good one!

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

How could one enjoy spending that kind of money?

Welcome to the Era-O-Clinton...
It doesn't matter what you do as long as you gain financially, or otherwise (not in God's eyes, of course) from it.

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

The truth comes out!I no longer have sympathy for the victims as they are nothing more than greedy basta*ds.

[ibbryn]

Sue the INS. They let the little creep go after they had him locked up.

[judgeandjury]

Have they figured out how to sue God yet?

I'm sure that if the trial lawyers could figure out a way, they would do just that!

[foxylady]

If you're interested, there actually have been several attempts to "counter sue" the folks bringing these cases against gun companies. To fight fire with fire, so to speak. They've all failed so far.

The Second Amendment Foundation filed one of them, in Washington DC, against all the mayors that sued the manufacturers. It got thrown out of court.

A local gun owners group down in Texas filed another case, saying these lawsuits violate the civil rights of gun owners and dealers, because they're just trying to jack up gun prices. It never went anywhere and they dropped the case - the group said it ran out of money to keep the case going.

And some manufacturers and the National Shooting Sports Foundation tried bringing a case too, down in Atlanta. They gave it up too.

Not a great track record.

[Republic of Texas]

I think I saw at least one of the sniper's wearing Khakis. Why don't they sue the Gap while they're at it.

[Tailback]

No, but I think I'll pull out my Armalite NM out of the safe and practice dry firing and breathe control. The new high power competition schedule starts soon.

[Paul Ross]

Time to freep the hell out of James Brady. He needs a wake up call. He should be told in no uncertain terms that this whole agenda is UNAMERICAN. And Ronald Reagan, would, if he could still be here, would be ashamed of him...

[SBprone]

"If Bushmaster had any inkling of what was going on then they also deserve to be sued."

I've dealt with Bushmaster. It is inconceivable that they would sell to any FFL license holder that they suspected was breaking the law. They would have nothing to gain and everything to lose. They sell everything they can build, and for premium prices too!

[Mr. Silverback]

Let me throw a scenario out there...Say ford sells an excursion to an auto dealer. One of their employees steals it, and sells it to a man who takes it "off-roading" on some sidewalks, killing 13 people. Is this Ford's fault? Heck, I don't think the dealer even has any real liability, but the manufacturer? That's just nuts.

I can see why the lying perps at the Brady campaign would do such a thing, but you would think that someone who had a family member blown away would blame, oh...Idunno...maybe the guy who pulled the trigger?

[3catsanadog]

I was just thinking that same thing.

Using the victims' logic, if some drunk was driving a Cadillac and wrecked into me, I could sue GM.

[cincinnati65]

I can't figure out how the blood-sucking lawyer couldn't figure out that he needed to sue the ammunition manufacturer and the retailer that sold the two the ammunition as well. After all, the gun itself didn't do that much damage, but, man, those bullets sure packed a wallop.

[Delbert]

This is idiotic. Thats like suing Ford Motor Company because someone driving a Mustang ran over my dog.

[bybybill]

Said it before and it`s still true; the biggest terrorrist threat to America comes from the Trial Lawyers

[S.O.S121.500]

Lawyers are good for two things....targets & compost.