Shooting at Uvalde school: families pursue Meta, video game creator, on the occasion of his 2nd anniversary

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Uvalde families filed new lawsuits Friday on the second anniversary of the Robb Elementary School attacksuing Meta Platforms, owner of Instagram, and the creator of the video game Call of Duty, for claiming the companies were responsible for products used by the teenage shooter.

They also filed another lawsuit against Daniel Defense, which made the AR-style rifle used in the May 24, 2022, shooting — and has already been sued.

It came on top of mounting lawsuits following the attack and came as small-town Texas gathered to mourn the anniversary of one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history – United. The shooter killed 19 students and two teachers. The agents finally confronted and shot him after waiting more than an hour to enter the fourth grade classroom.

“There is a direct connection between the behavior 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 view it as a tool to solve his problems, and trained him to use it.”

Some of these same families filed a complaint on Wednesday $500 million lawsuit against Texas State Police officials and officers who were part of the botched law enforcement response that day. More than 370 federal, state and local officers responded but waited more than an hour to confront the shooter inside the classroom as students and teachers lay dead, dying or injured.

Friday's lawsuits are not the first to accuse tech companies of playing a role in radicalizing or influencing mass shooters. Families of victims of May 2022 attack on Buffalo, New York supermarket sued social media companiesincluding Meta and Instagram, on the content of their platforms.

The lawsuit against Georgia-based gunmaker Daniel Defense was filed in Texas by the same group of 19 families who sued Wednesday. The lawsuit against Meta and Activision Blizzard – the maker of Call of Duty – was filed in California along with other families of victims of the attack.

Activision called the Uvalde shooting “horrific and heartbreaking in every way, and we express our deepest condolences to the families and communities who remain impacted by this senseless act of violence.” Millions of people around the world enjoy video games without engaging in horrible acts.

A video game industry trade group also pushed back against blaming games for violence, arguing that research has found no connection.

“We are saddened and outraged by these senseless acts of violence. At the same time, we discourage baseless accusations linking these tragedies to video gaming, which undermine efforts to focus on the core issues at hand and guard against future tragedies,” the Entertainment Software Association said.

The amount of damages sought in the new lawsuits was not immediately clear.

According to the lawsuits, the Uvalde shooter had been playing 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 school. The families also accused Instagram of doing little to enforce its rules banning the marketing of guns and content harmful to children.

The Uvalde shooter opened an online account with Daniel Defense before his 18th birthday and purchased the rifle as soon as he could, according to the lawsuit.

“Simultaneously, on Instagram, the shooter was courted through explicit and aggressive marketing. In addition to hundreds of images depicting and venerating the thrill of combat, Daniel Defense used Instagram to tout the illegal and deadly use of his weapons,” the families’ attorneys said in a statement.

Daniel Defense and Meta did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

During a 2022 congressional hearing, Marty Daniels, CEO of Daniel Defense, called the Uvalde shootings and others like them “pure evil” and “deeply disturbing.”

A separate lawsuit filed by different plaintiffs in December 2022 against local and state police, the city and other schools and law enforcement, seeks at least $27 billion and class action status for survivors. At least two other lawsuits have been filed against Daniel Defense.

In Uvalde, community members held a vigil in memory of those killed. Other events included a bell ringing and butterfly release at a local church.

“As we celebrate this solemn day, may we pray for those we have lost, their loved ones, and all those who have been injured,” President Joe Biden said in a letter to the community. ___

This story has been updated to reflect that the shooter killed 19 students and two teachers.