Judge Strikes Down Sandy Hook Suit Against AR-15 Manufacturer

Connecticut Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis has struck down the lawsuit that Sandy Hook Elementary families had brought against Remington Arms.

Remington is the parent company of Bushmaster, the brand of AR-15 that Adam Lanza stole then used to killed 26 innocents at the school.

According to a Friday report from CBS New York, Bellis cited the 2005 Lawful Protection of Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), which protects gun manufacturers from being sued in instances where the gun in question was legally made and sold. The AR-15 used in the Sandy Hook attack was legally made and was sold and registered to Nancy Lanza, Adam’s mother. He stole that gun from her, then shot and killed her before going to the school.

The suit against Remington was filed in October 2014. BBC News reported that court documents in the filing said, “There is one tragically predictable civilian activity in which the AR-15 reigns supreme: mass shootings. Time and again, mentally unstable individuals and criminals have acquired the AR-15 with ease, and they have unleashed the rifle’s lethal power into our streets.”

A couple of points need to be made. First, AR-15s by no mean reign supreme in “mass shootings.” As with other crimes, handguns are by far the weapon of choice and shotguns are popular as well. In fact, the key component to “mass shootings” is not the type of gun used but the location of the shooting, which is predominately a gun-free zone. Secondly, Lanza did not acquire an AR-15 with “ease”–rather, he had to steal it.

During the Democrat primary Bernie Sanders said that Sandy Hook families ought not be able to sue Remington for the illegal use of a gun that was acquired through thievery. The New York Daily News questioned Sanders on this point:

NY Daily News asked, “There’s a case currently waiting to be ruled on in Connecticut. The victims of the Sandy Hook massacre are looking to have the right to sue for damages the manufacturers of the weapons. Do you think that that is something that should be expanded?”

Sanders responded, “Do I think the victims of a crime with a gun should be able to sue the manufacturer, is that your question?”

The NY Daily News said, “Correct.”

Sanders replied, “No, I don’t.”

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.