UVALDE, Texas – Two years after the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School, Uvalde families have taken legal action, filing a lawsuit against Meta, Activision, and Daniel Defense. The lawsuit accuses the companies of fostering an environment that groomed and enabled the shooter, resulting in the deaths of 19 children and two teachers.
The lawsuit claims that over the span of 15 years, Instagram and Activision, in collaboration with Daniel Defense, implemented a strategy that targeted vulnerable, young boys. Through Instagram’s marketing platform, Daniel Defense allegedly promoted the glorification of its weapons, influencing the shooter’s actions.
According to the allegations, Meta and Activision provided firearm manufacturers with unprecedented access to children through their popular products. The case has been brought to the California Superior Court in Los Angeles against Meta and Activision, while the Uvalde families have filed the lawsuit against Daniel Defense in the Uvalde District Court.
Attorney Josh Koskoff, representing the Uvalde families, stated, “There is a clear connection between the actions of these companies and the Uvalde shooting. Just 23 minutes past midnight on his 18th birthday, the shooter purchased an AR-15 from a company with minimal market share. This purchase was influenced by the online targeting and cultivation carried out by Instagram, Activision, and Daniel Defense.”
In November 2021, the shooter downloaded the video game ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare,’ which featured the DDM4V7 gun – the same weapon used in the tragic incident at Robb Elementary School. Shortly after installing the game, the shooter began researching guns on his phone and explored Daniel Defense’s website.
On April 27, 2022, 19 days before his eighteenth birthday, the shooter created an account with Daniel Defense and added the DDM4V7 to his cart for purchase. Minutes before turning 18 on May 16, he bought the gun and tragically used it to carry out the shooting just eight days later.