Son of Colorado mass shooting victim sues gun-maker Ruger

Mar 15, 2023, 1:14 PM

FILE - Tributes hang on the temporary fence surrounding the parking lot in front of a King Soopers ...

FILE - Tributes hang on the temporary fence surrounding the parking lot in front of a King Soopers grocery store in which 10 people died in a late March 2021 mass shooting, April 9, 2021, in Boulder, Colo. The son of one of 10 people killed at the Colorado supermarket in 2021 filed a lawsuit Tuesday, March 14, 2023, against gun maker Sturm, Ruger & Co. over how it marketed the firearm used in the massacre — following a litigation road map set by families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The son of one of 10 people killed at a Colorado supermarket in 2021 is suing gun-maker Sturm, Ruger & Co. over how it marketed the firearm used in the massacre — following the litigation road map set by families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims.

The lawsuit — filed Tuesday in state court in Connecticut, where Sturm, Ruger & Co. is based in Fairfield — accuses the company of marketing its AR-556 pistol in a “reckless” and “immoral” way that promoted its killing capability. It seeks an undisclosed amount of damages.

Nathaniel Getz, whose mother, Suzanne Fountain, was killed in the March 22, 2021, shooting at a King Soopers store in Boulder, filed the lawsuit — the first relative of the 10 victims to do so, said his lawyer, Andrew Garza.

“We filed the lawsuit to both to seek justice for the family of the victim, but also to hold them accountable and to serve a preventative function as well, to protect future victims,” Garza said in phone interview Wednesday.

“We believe they marketed it in a way that was meant to appeal to the militarization of young individuals, glorified lone shooters and, especially in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting, we think they had a moral responsibility to do better,” he said.

Getz and representatives of Sturm, Ruger & Co. did not immediately return email messages seeking comment Wednesday.

The lawsuit comes only days before the two-year anniversary of the shooting as well as days before the two-year statute of limitations to file such a suit in Connecticut expires. Garza urged relatives of the other victims to join the litigation.

The Colorado shooter, 23-year-old Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, is accused of opening fire outside and inside the store — killing customers, workers and a police officer who tried to stop the attack. Alissa, who has schizophrenia, has been ruled incompetent to stand trial. He is charged with murder and multiple counts of attempted murder.

Investigators, who have not disclosed a possible motive, said Alissa passed a background check to legally buy a Ruger AR-556 pistol six days before the shooting.

Lawsuits against gun-makers for the harm their products cause have generally been banned under a controversial 2005 federal law that shielded them from liability, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.

The law, however, has exceptions. The Connecticut Supreme Court settled with the families for $73 million.

The case was closely watched by gun control advocates, gun rights supporters and manufacturers, because of its potential to provide a road map for victims of other shootings to sue firearm makers.

Twenty first-graders and six educators were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on Dec. 14, 2012.

The families of nine victims, as well as a survivor, sued Remington. alleging the company targeted at-risk males in advertising and product placement in violent video games. One of Remington’s ads featured the Bushmaster rifle against a plain backdrop and the phrase: “Consider Your Man Card Reissued.”

The lawsuit against Sturm, Ruger & Co. claims the company’s marketing materials included similar phrases such as “Anything else would be un-American.”

The version of the Ruger AR-556 used in the Colorado shooting was technically a pistol, but resembled an AR-15-style rifle. Getz’s lawsuit alleges the company made the pistol version to evade laws regulating rifles.

United States News

Associated Press

Reward offered for information on who killed endangered Hawaiian monk seal

HONOLULU (AP) — U.S. authorities on Tuesday offered a $5,000 reward for information on who killed a Hawaiian monk seal after one of the critically endangered animals was found dead on Oahu this year. The female seal known as Malama was found dead on March 12 at Ohikilolo, a spot between Keaau Beach Park and […]

16 hours ago

Associated Press

US appeals court rejects lifetime gun ban for nonviolent criminals

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A U.S. appeals court ruled Tuesday that nonviolent offenders should not be subject to lifetime gun bans, the latest fallout from a recent Supreme Court decision that instructs judges to look to history and tradition to weigh the constitutionality of gun control laws. In an 11-4 vote, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court […]

16 hours ago

Associated Press

Multiple injuries reported after shooting near Virginia Commonwealth campus in Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A shooting near Virginia Commonwealth University in downtown Richmond injured multiple people Tuesday, a police spokeswoman said. There was no longer an active threat to the community, according to police spokeswoman Tracy Walker. It wasn’t immediately clear what led to the shooting in the area of Monroe Park, which is near […]

16 hours ago

Associated Press

Giuliani denies claims he coerced woman to have sex, says she’s trying to stir ‘media frenzy’

NEW YORK (AP) — Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani says a woman’s lawsuit alleging he coerced her into sex and owes her nearly $2 million in unpaid wages is “a large stretch of the imagination” filled with exaggerations and salacious details “to create a media frenzy.” Giuliani said in court papers that he […]

16 hours ago

Associated Press

Two dead after small plane deploys parachute, crashes in western New York

JAMESTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — The pilot of a small plane and his passenger were killed Tuesday when the aircraft crashed and caught fire shortly after taking off from a western New York airfield, authorities said. The Cirrus SR22 was based in Oshawa, Ontario, and had stopped at an airport in Erie, Pennsylvania, before arriving at […]

16 hours ago

Democratic Sen. Jeff Golden speaks during a news conference and rally against the Republican Senate...

Associated Press

Democrats: Lives could be lost due to Republican walkout in Oregon Legislature

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon Democratic lawmakers stood on the steps of the state Capitol Tuesday and implored Republicans, who have been boycotting the Senate for over a month, to return and vote on bills, saying lives are literally at stake. Several statehouses around the nation, including Tennessee, have been ideological battlegrounds this year. Republicans […]

16 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

...

Desert Institute for Spine Care

Spinal fusion surgery has come a long way, despite misconceptions

As Dr. Justin Field of the Desert Institute for Spine Care explained, “we've come a long way over the last couple of decades.”

...

OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

How to identify the symptoms of 3 common anxiety disorders

Living with an anxiety disorder can be debilitating and cause significant stress for those who suffer from the condition.

Son of Colorado mass shooting victim sues gun-maker Ruger