Friday Alfred Garza III and Kimberly Garcia – parents of Amery Joe Garza, student killed in shooting – sent a letter to Daniel Defans asking information about marketing a Georgia company to teenagers and children, according to their lawyers. The letter, sent to the arms manufacturer, came into the possession of The Washington Post. also asks Daniel Defense to provide a link with Shooter Uvalde.
“My goal for To be now is to honor the memory of Amery Joe memoryGarza said. in a news release. “She will be want I do everything I can to make sure this never happens. again any other child.”
The claim has not been filed, but the letter is among the first signals that a lawsuit related to the Uvalda shooting may begin. One of Garza Lawyers – Josh Koskoff, who represented the nine Sandy Hook families who won landmark $73 million settlement against Remington Arms, now bankrupt manufacturer of Bushmaster AR-15 type rifle was used in 2012 school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, 26 people died. people – twenty of them children.
“Daniel Defense said they pray for the Uvalde family. They are should back up these prayers with meaningful actions,” Koskoff said. in statement. “If they’re really sincere in their wish support these families, they will provide information”.
Action from killed 10-year-old family followed by a similar move Thursday from Emilia Marin, Robb Elementary School employee. who filed a petition to investigate Daniel Defense’s marketing activities in young people as well as for company officials sit for indications. Marin, graduation-program worker who was hired by the district for about 25 years old, closed the door, which she propped open after seeing Ramos, her lawyer, heading towards the school, Don Flanari told the San Antonio Express-News. The door was supposed to be locked, but he said it didn’t, allowing the shooter to enter the school.
Flanari told The Post that Marin facing severe and prolonged psychological trauma attack — and suffers after initial remarks by public authorities that the door was left open. Department of Texas of Public Safety eventually corrected the original explanation of what happened saying marin shut Door behind her, but that she “did not lock herself up because should”.
“She doesn’t feel well because of obvious effects of Existence in center of violence,” Flalani said. “If Daniel Defense is designed specifically for minors or unstable people or people they thought it might be dangerous, it might be an act so egregious that it might cause their responsibility in state of Texas”.
Marin’s statement, which may lead to court, asking for information on the company’s AR-15 style rifles that were previously tied to another mass shooting – 2017. attack in the country music the festival in Las Vegas. Four of The rifles of Daniel Defens were found in in arsenal used shooter for kill 58 people and hurt hundreds in deadliest mass shooting in modern american history.
The petition addresses the question of whether marketing is Daniel Defense changed generally in years since then.
representative for Daniel Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment. About Daniel Defense website a message will appear on a homepage dedicated to the May 24th shooting, and how gunsmith is “deeply saddened by the recent tragic events in Texas”.
“We will cooperate with all federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in their investigations,” the statement said. “We’ll save families of victims and the whole Uvalde community in our thoughts and our prayers.”
President Biden called on Congress is past a week to take urgent action on gun controls, including a ban on assault weapons and restrictions on high-capacity magazines. While the odds of such action is in a divided senate is not high, Biden, who noted that he respects culture and traditions of law gun the owners, stated that the Second Amendment “is not absolute”.
Archive of gun violence, research group, says there were more over 200 mass executions in USA it year. Mass executions when four or more people – not counting the shooter – wounded or killed, averaged more how one a day until it year. It’s not a week year passed without at least four mass executions.
A few examples of Marketing by Daniel Defens shows that the company called Santa Claus: “Call of Duty” and “Star Wars” for minors, according to the New York Times. The day before the Uvalde shooting, Daniel Defense posted online advertising photo of baby with one of his AR-15 rifles. Photo shows a young boy holding a rifle on his knees, along with caption referring to the biblical proverb: “The train up child in in way he should go, and when he is old, he will not leave him.”
Headline ends with smiley of two hands together in prayer. Boy sitting cross-legged in photo and look down at firearms on his knees. The ammo clip is separate on Earth.
Bye gun manufacturers are granted broad immunity under federal law, there are exceptions for violations of State Law. Protection of legal trade in Arms Act 2005 shields gunsmiths from facing duty for “misuse of firearms by third parties, including criminals. But in a business of Sandy Hook, lawyers successfully claimed that Remington violated Connecticut consumer protection law in how the company sold its firearms.
According to a letter sent by Garza’s lawyers, Uvalde’s father is legal team looking for information by Daniel Defense Marketing of Rifles like AR-15 for childrenadvertising on popular social media platforms like YouTube, any details regarding “incitement and encouragement”. on “attack use” of weapons, as well as any means of communication with Ramos.
Flalanari told The Post that Marin’s pitch against Daniel Defense in Texas state court focused on “marketing practices that way out of mainstream”. Such action is permitted by Rule 202, unique Texas position that allows wide power for people investigate potential claims before they file a claim in state.
“We could have a hearing in Way of weeks, but if Daniel Defense objects, they can drag their objections out for significantly long period of time,” the lawyer said. “That’s why we decided start this request is so fast.
It is not clear if the separate actions of Garza and Marin lead others to join in potential litigation. He said Marin got a lot of messages of support and used the petition as a positive distraction from the deep grief she and others are going through.
“She is just wants to do his best to try and make sure it never happens againFlanary said. “Though it may be far, it is worth It.”
Todd S. Frankel contributed to this report.
