Gunmaker Denied Supreme Court Detour on Sandy Hook Suit

WASHINGTON (CN) — The Supreme Court refused Tuesday to intervene in a lawsuit against Remington Arms by a survivor of the Sandy Hook Elementary School and several relatives of some of the 26 people killed with the gunmaker’s rifle.

Led by Donna Soto, the suit is among dozens of cases denied certiorari this morning by the Supreme Court. The justices did not take up any cases since Friday when they took up a trademark case involving the website Booking.com.

Remington had argued in its petition for certiorari that a 2005 federal law shields firearms manufacturers from liability over their products being used in crimes.

Though a trial court in Connecticut initially dismissed the lawsuit under the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, the Connecticut Supreme Court found 4-3 that the lawsuit could proceed based on a statutory exemption.

The lead plaintiff in the case is the mother of Sandy Hook teacher Victoria Leigh Soto who was one of six staffers killed by Adam Lanza on Dec. 14, 2012. Another 20 first graders were also killed.

Soto’s family and the others say the Madison, North Carolina-based Remington was negligent in selling a Bushmaster AR-15-style rifle to the public. They also accuse Remington of having targeted younger, at-risk males in marketing the product. Lanza was 20 years old at the time of the shooting. He killed his mother at their Newtown home before making his way to Sandy Hook and killed himself there before police could apprehend him.

Per its custom, the Supreme Court did not issue any comment in turning down Remington’s appeal.

The National Rifle Association, 10 mainly Republican-led states and 22 Republicans in Congress were among those urging the court to grant certiorari.

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