Uvalde, Texas – Families of the victims lost in the tragic 2022 Uvalde mass shooting have initiated legal action, filing lawsuits against Meta Platforms, the parent company of Instagram, the publishers of the video game “Call of Duty,” and Daniel Defense, the manufacturers of AR-15 assault rifles.
These civil death suits, filed on the second anniversary of the horrifying event, allege that these entities form an “unholy trinity” that contributes to the conversion of alienated teenage boys into mass shooters. The focal point of the lawsuits is 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, who, on the afternoon of May 24, 2022, entered Robb Elementary School through an unlocked door and barricaded himself inside a classroom for nearly an hour.
Ramos tragically claimed the lives of two teachers and 19 students before being fatally shot by a U.S. Border Patrol agent. Court documents filed in California and Texas reveal that Ramos had downloaded the video game “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” in November 2021 and had subsequently purchased a DDM4 V7 firearm, prominently featured in the game, just a week before the school shooting.
Detailing the timeline leading up to the heinous act, one lawsuit describes how Ramos purchased the firearm on his 18th birthday, then carried out the violence soon after at Robb Elementary School. The legal actions also shed light on Ramos being targeted through aggressive marketing on Instagram, with Daniel Defense using the platform to promote their weapons in a manner that glorified violence.
Notably, the lawsuits were filed shortly after the victims’ families announced reaching a $2 million settlement with the city. This legal recourse underscores the families’ pursuit of justice and accountability from entities they believe played a role in the tragic events that unfolded in Uvalde two years prior. The legal battle serves as a reminder of the complex intersections between technology, entertainment, and firearms in today’s society, raising questions about their influence on vulnerable individuals.
As the legal proceedings continue, the families of the victims are seeking answers and striving to bring awareness to the broader societal implications of the Uvalde mass shooting. The outcome of these lawsuits could potentially set precedent on the responsibilities of technology companies, game publishers, and firearms manufacturers in preventing similar tragedies in the future.