Remington, Sandy Hook trial sets date
Remington made the rifle used to kill 20 first-graders and several adults at the Connecticut, school on Dec. 14, 2012
Nearly seven years to the day since the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Connecticut claimed the lives of 28 people, including children, a trial date has been set in the case brought by victims’ families against gun-maker Remington Arms, officials said.
The trial is set to begin in September 2021 after the discovery, or evidence-gathering portion, has been completed, a spokesperson for one of the attorneys confirmed on Friday.
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“After nearly five years of legal maneuvering by Remington, we will finally discover what went on behind closed doors that led to the company's reckless marketing of the Bushmaster AR-15,” attorney Josh Koskoff, who represents the victims, said in a statement to FOX Business. “The families’ faith in the legal system has never wavered and they look forward to presenting their case to a Connecticut jury.”
A woman cries as she pays tribute to the victims of an elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, on Dec. 15, 2012. (EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images)
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A survivor and relatives of nine victims of the 2012 massacre filed the wrongful death lawsuit against Remington in 2015, saying the company should have never sold such a dangerous weapon to the public and alleging it targeted younger, at-risk males in marketing and product placement in violent video games.
A spokesperson for Remington did not immediately reply to FOX Business' request for comment.
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Based in Madison, North Carolina, Remington made the Bushmaster AR-15-style rifle used to kill 20 first-graders and several adults at the Newtown, Connecticut, school on Dec. 14, 2012.
A Bushmaster semi-automatic assault rifle, similar to the type used by 20-year-old Adam Lanza during the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary.
The decision that Remington could, in fact, be sued under state law – despite a federal law that potentially shields gun-makers from liability when their products are used in crimes – was made after months of legal back-and-forth that made its way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case last month.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.