gun manufacturer lawsuit, Newton school shooting

The families of some of the Newton school shooting victims have filed a gun manufacturer lawsuit, claiming the Bushman AR-15 gun maker is responsible for wrongful death and negligence. In the USA it is difficult to determine how this case will turn out, because the 2^nd amendment of the United States Constitution gives Americans the right to possess firearms. Adam Lanza, the shooter, committed suicide after killing a number of children. The lawsuit claims that the Bushmaster AR-15 rifle is a military rifle so it should not have been sold to civilians, however the government of the USA has not banned the sale of these weapons. Many feel that the families of the Newton school shooting victims are looking for someone to blame, and since Lanza is no longer alive the gun manufacturer lawsuit helps to fill this need.

The gun manufacturer lawsuit filed by Newton school shooting families may be thrown out of court before it goes anywhere, or the judge could decide to let a jury decide the issue instead. According to Josh Koskoff, the attorney on the case, “The AR-15 was specifically engineered for the United States Military to meet the needs of changing warfare. In fact, one of the Army’s specifications for the AR-15 was that it has the capability to penetrate a steel helmet.” What is missing from the statement is the fact that a number of gun manufacturers make a civilian model of this rifle including Bushmaster. Is it appropriate to hold a company which manufactures a product responsible for how consumers use that product? Under that theory knife makers could be held responsible when someone stabs another.