Sandy Hook Families Settle out of Court with Remington for $73 million

Families of nine of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre have settled with US gun maker Remington. This is a landmark deal for those traumatized by mass shootings.

This is the first time in history a gun maker has been liable for a mass shooting in the US. 20 children and 6 educators were shot and killed in 2012, at the elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut by Adam Lanza. The 20 year old shooter was believed to have been going through a psychotic break when the shooting occurred.

The lawsuit alleged that Remington was marketing the Bushmaster XM15-E2S semi-automatic rifle towards younger at risk men, such as Lanza. One of the ads used to market the weapon included the rifle leaning against a white backdrop with the phrase “ Consider Your Man Card Reissued”. The ads imply that you aren't really a man if you don’t own this gun. The lawsuit also alleged that Remington was marketing the military grade weapon for civilian use.

The settlement between the families and Remington could pave the way for further accountability in other mass shootings.