Victims of a Texas school tragedy pursue legal action against the gunmaker

Victims of a Texas school tragedy pursue legal action against the gunmaker.

A school employee and the father of a 10-year-old girl murdered in the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting have taken preliminary steps.

It might lead to lawsuits against Daniel Defense, the manufacturer of the semiautomatic weapon used in last week’s tragedy that killed 21 people.

In a letter sent on Friday, attorneys for Alfred Garza, the father of Robb Elementary School student Amerie Jo Garza, asked Daniel Defense to give information on its marketing to teenagers and children.

“Rather than forcing Mr. Garza to initiate a lawsuit to get information, we urge you to begin releasing it to us immediately,” the letter said.

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There have been no lawsuits filed against Daniel Defense due to the incident.

A request for comment from Daniel Defense of Black Creek, Georgia, was not immediately returned.

According to officials, Salvador Ramos, an 18-year-old Uvalde shooter, attacked the school on May 24 and murdered 19 kids and two instructors before being slain by law enforcement.

He legally bought his first pistol on his 18th birthday, May 17.

Garza’s lawyer, Josh Koskoff, spearheaded the lawsuit after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut.

It resulted in a $73 million settlement with gunmaker Remington in February.

It was the first substantial settlement involving a mass shooting against a gun manufacturer, which is shielded from litigation under federal law.

“Sandy Hook in Connecticut is not binding on the Texas court,” Koskoff said, “but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have persuasive force.”

“The gunman knew precisely what firearms he was obtaining from the day he turned 18,” Koskoff added.

Emilia Marin, a school employee, filed petitions in Texas state court seeking an order deposing Daniel Defense and for the firm to give over materials relating to their marketing.

Marin is identified as a speech pathologist clerk on the school’s website.

Marin’s late Thursday filing is a petition that authorizes a party to start looking into possible claims.

Federal legislation is, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, or PLCAA protects gun manufacturers against lawsuits stemming from unlawful use of their guns.

However, the Connecticut Supreme Court found in 2019 that relatives of Sandy Hook victims may sue Remington Arms under a PLCAA exemption since the gunmaker allegedly violated state marketing rules.