Activision and Meta sued by families of Uvalde school shooting victims

Families of victims killed in Uvalde, Texas, school shooting sue Meta and Call of Duty developer Activision over allegations they encouraged the use of guns among underage boys. The lawsuit claims the two companies “knowingly exposed the shooter to the gun, conditioned him to see it as the solution to his problems, and trained him to use it.” This is the kind of claim we've seen repeatedly, unsuccessfully, thrown at video game companies in the past.

The suit was filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of approximately 45 family members. As stated in the lawsuit, the families accuse Activision and Meta of “grooming” the young men and inciting them to commit acts of violence. On May 24, 2022, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, killing 21 people.

The lawsuit says the shooter played Call of Duty “Obsessively, I developed sniper skills and earned rewards that only become available after a substantial investment of time. » He also claims that the game features the AR-15 used when shooting. At the same time, the lawsuit alleges, “the shooter was wooed through explicit and aggressive marketing” on Instagram that showed “hundreds of images depicting and venerating the thrill of combat.”

In addition to Activision and Meta, the families of the Uvalde victims are also suing Daniel Defense, the gun company that manufactured the AR-15 used in the shooting. The lawsuit alleges that Daniel Defense promotes its weapons to minors on Instagram through posts “glorifying” combat. However, Meta's rules theoretically prohibit companies from selling guns on its platforms, and the shooter purchased the AR-15 on Daniel Defense's website — not through Instagram.

“Companies like Instagram and Activision do more than just enable gun manufacturers to reach consumers: they support and perpetuate violence against troubled teens,” wrote Josh Koskoff, the Uvalde families’ attorney. “Instagram should stop allowing AR-15s to be marketed to children by gun manufacturers; and Activision should stop training and habituating children to kill. It’s so simple.”

In a statement provided to The edgeDelaney Simmons, Activision's head of corporate communications, writes: “Millions of people around the world enjoy video games without turning to horrible acts. »

Koskoff previously won a $73 million settlement from gunmaker Remington for the families of victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting.