Uvalde Victims’ Families Sue Meta, Video Game Maker, and Gun Manufacturer

CALIFORNIA (May 25, 2024) — On the two-year anniversary of the Uvalde school massacre, families of the victims have filed state lawsuits in California and Texas against social media giant Meta, video game company Activision, and gun manufacturer Daniel Defense. These lawsuits allege wrongful death, accusing the companies of targeting and influencing the shooter.

The lawsuits follow a $2 million settlement with the city of Uvalde over the May 24, 2022, Robb Elementary School shooting that killed 19 students and two teachers. The first lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, targets Activision and Meta, while the second, filed in Uvalde District Court, targets Daniel Defense.

According to the lawsuits, the shooter was influenced by Instagram and Activision’s marketing, leading him to purchase the AR-15 used in the attack. The lawsuits claim that Instagram and Activision enabled firearm manufacturers to market directly to adolescents, conditioning them to see weapons like the AR-15 as tools to solve their problems.

The legal actions allege that on his 18th birthday, the shooter purchased the AR-15 used in the attack after being targeted and influenced by these companies. He had been playing “Call of Duty” since age 15, and the game prominently features the same model of AR-15 used in the shooting.

The Uvalde shooting wrongful death lawsuit also accuse Instagram of aggressive marketing tactics that glorified combat and firearms. The shooter created an account with Daniel Defense and purchased the weapon shortly after turning 18, just days before the shooting.

In response, an Activision spokesperson expressed deep sympathies for the families and stated that millions enjoy video games without resorting to violence. Meta and Daniel Defense have not yet commented on the litigation.

The families also reportedly plan to file a $500 million federal lawsuit against nearly 100 state police officers involved in the flawed law enforcement response, along with former Robb Elementary School principal Mandy Gutierrez and fired school district police chief Pete Arredondo. A Justice Department report cited “cascading failures” in the law enforcement response, noting that 77 minutes passed before the shooter was confronted and killed.