Uvalde, Texas – Families of the victims who tragically lost their children in the Robb Elementary School mass shooting in Uvalde two years ago have taken legal action. They have filed wrongful death lawsuits in both Texas and California against three entities: Meta, the parent company of Instagram; Activision, the publisher of the video game “Call of Duty”; and Daniel Defense, the manufacturer of the AR-15 rifle used by the shooter. These lawsuits allege that the companies played a role in enabling the mass shooter who claimed the lives of 19 children and two adults in Uvalde in 2022.
According to a news release from the law offices of Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder PC and Guerra LLP, the lawsuits aim to expose a pattern of behavior over the past 15 years where these companies have targeted vulnerable, young boys. The families’ attorney, Josh Koskoff, asserts that there is a direct connection between the actions of these companies and the tragic events in Uvalde. He claims that they exposed the shooter to the weapon, normalized its use as a problem-solving tool, and provided training on how to utilize it.
The gunman in the Robb Elementary massacre, Salvador Ramos, reportedly purchased the rifle for the shooting immediately after turning 18. The lawsuit alleges that Ramos had been influenced by playing the video game “Call of Duty,” with the specific weapon used by him featured in the game. The legal action in Texas details how Daniel Defense allegedly used Instagram and “Call of Duty” to target adolescent boys with advertisements for AR-15s as soon as they reached the legal age to purchase them.
Furthermore, the lawsuits filed in California against Activision and Meta cite previous mass shooters who have either mentioned or played “Call of Duty.” These include the shooters involved in the Parkland, Florida high school shooting in 2018 and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut in 2012. It is claimed that Ramos began researching firearms shortly after playing the latest version of “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.”
In a separate development, families of the Uvalde victims have also brought a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Public Safety and 92 DPS troopers who were present at the scene of the Robb Elementary shooting. They argue that despite receiving active shooter training, the officers failed to adhere to national standards and best practices during the incident. This series of legal actions highlights the ongoing efforts by the families affected by the Uvalde tragedy to seek accountability and justice for their loved ones.