Families of the Uvalde school shooting victims are suing video game and media companies, alleging the shooter was exposed to violence through those platforms before carrying out one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history.
The families have sued Activision, the maker of the first-person military shooter game “Call of Duty,” Meta and one other company, reported the Los Angeles Times.
They have filed claims for negligence, aiding and abetting and wrongful death.
“To put a finer point on it: Defendants are chewing up alienated teenage boys and spitting out mass shooters,” the complaint stated, according to the outlet.
The filing noted that the common thread between school shootings in Uvalde, Parkland and Sandy Hook was that they were all committed by young men who played “Call of Duty” and used an AR-15, reported the Times.
The families say shooter Salvador Ramos was exposed to a virtual version of a Daniel Defense-branded AR-15 in “Call of Duty,” which he later used in the school shooting.
Nineteen students and two teachers were killed and 18 people injured during the shooting at Robb Elementary School in 2022 in Uvalde, Texas.
The lawsuit states the AR-15 manufacturer has a market share of less than 1%, but it was promoted in the “Call of Duty” game, which caught Ramos’ eye.
“Call of Duty’ is a simulation, not a game. It teaches players how to aim, reload, and fire accurately, while habituating the teenage nervous system to inflict repeated, graphic violence. And though the killing is virtual, the weapons are authentic,” the families’ complaint alleges, according to the Times.
The gamemakers “created a simulation with real-life weapons and applauded children for their proficiency at killing,” the suit stated.
The Uvalde families are also suing Meta, alleging the shooter got ads for the gun that promoted violence on Instagram.
“They glorify these weapons. They made it enticing for young kids to want to purchase these guns, and kids that young are so receptive to these types of things,” Veronica Mata, who lost her daughter in the shooting, told the Times.
The companies have filed motions to dismiss the complaint, saying their products are constitutionally protected.
Activision argued that the First Amendment protects “Call of Duty” as a work of art. Meta said that legal precedent protects social media platforms from liability for third-party content posted by users and advertisers.
“Call of Duty tells complex stories that explore the real-world combat scenarios that soldiers face in modern warfare. There can be no doubt Call of Duty is expressive and fully protected by the First Amendment,” the gamemaker wrote in court filings, according to the Times.
A hearing on whether the lawsuit will move forward is scheduled for Friday.
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