U.S. Gunmaker, Shop Settle with Sniper Victims

[Delw]

SEATTLE (Reuters) - The company that made the Bushmaster rifle used in the Washington-area sniper killings and a gun shop that lost track of the firearm agreed to pay $2.5 million to victims in what lawyers said on Thursday was an unprecedented settlement.


Reuters Photo



The payout for eight victims of the October 2002 shootings was the first of its kind by a gun manufacturer accused of negligent distribution of firearms, said Daniel Vice, an attorney with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which brought the lawsuit on behalf of the victims.


John Muhammad and Lee Malvo were found guilty last year for a shooting spree that killed 10 and injured three. In October 2003, Malvo was sentenced to life in prison without parole and Muhammad was sentenced to death.


Bushmaster Firearms Inc. of Windham, Maine, which makes the civilian version of the military M-16 rifle, agreed to pay $550,000 to the families of six victims and two survivors of the shootings.


The Bull's Eye Gun Shop in Tacoma, Washington, near Seattle, also agreed to pay $2 million. Bull's Eye has said that the Bushmaster rifle used in the shootings disappeared from its shop.


"This has now set a precedent nationwide that gunmakers and gun dealers will be held responsible if they continue to sell guns to criminals," Vice said.


A representative of Bull's Eye was not immediately available for comment. Bushmaster did not comment beyond a statement posted on its Web site that said the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing.


"Our choice was to continue spending it on trial lawyers or turn it over directly to the victims' families with no funds going to the Brady Group for their legal fees," Bushmaster said.


"The Brady Group's attempt at claiming a victory over firearms manufacturers is a hollow one... Their attempt to eliminate gun rights of citizens has failed legislatively and will continue to fail with these frivolous lawsuits against gun manufacturers."


'LETHAL WEAPONS'


"It wasn't about money. It was about making a statement that you have to be responsible in the way you carry on your business, if you are going to sell such lethal weapons to the general public," said Victoria Snider, whose brother, James "Sonny" Buchanan, was killed in the sniper shootings.


The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that would limit lawsuits against the gun industry. The bill was backed by the National Rifle Association, the powerful gun lobby. Some critics of the legislation contended it would block lawsuits such as the sniper case.


But companion legislation was defeated in the Senate after it was modified to include an extension of the assault weapons ban, set to expire on Monday. The NRA also strongly opposed any extension of the assault weapons ban.


Snider, who spoke at a news conference at the Brady Center in Washington, D.C., said her "biggest fear" was that now-banned automatic weapons would become available to the public.


"I'm appalled at that and I hope President Bush (news - web sites) is listening and I hope that he changes that, he doesn't let it expire, that he continues the ban on assault weapons," she said.


The Brady Center said 238 guns had disappeared from the Bull's Eye gun shop, near where Muhammad and Malvo lived for a brief time, and that more than 50 guns from the shop were traced to criminal acts between 1997 and 2001.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040910/us_nm/crime_sniper_gunshop_dc

 

[Ten Bears]

I don't like it. Why is the manufacturer responsible after the "legal" firearm is bought up by the gun distributor? With the purchase goes the liability????

 

[Calif. Hunter]

The manufacturer made no admission of guilt, and stated quite plainly that they chose to give the money to the victims, rather than to trial attorneys to fight it out. In other words, they settled the case to get it over with and to avoid a lengthy, expensive legal battle. They paid $550,000 while the gun shop, who legitimately appears liable for poor FFL practices, pays $2 million. The gun shop appears to have been a shady operation, if 238 firearms have disappeared from their inventory!

 

[cjcj]

I still don`t see why anybody but the "scum" snipers are to blame. The punk ass killers could have used any rifle,whether it had been purchased legally,stolen, lost.etc, etc, What differance does it make who manufactured,owned,sold,the gun? The killers did the crime [ no one else]

 

[wyomingtim]

I saw that article also. I think it sets a bad precident on the part of the manufacturer.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

I agree. The manufacturer apparently was only self-interested, and sought to limit its exposure in this one case. Unfortunately, their actions may have opened the door for more liability on their part in other circumstances, or at the least, encouraged others to file such law suits.

 

[kiwi hunta]

There is no way that the manufacturer should have to pay damages, I cant think of any other place in the world where it could happen, the states is litigation crazy, its a wonder auto makers aren't sued daily.

 

[feclnogn]

I agree with those who stated that this sets a precedent. This opens up the door for more worthless lawsuits filed by more worthless lawyers.

Boycott Bushmaster.

 

[JoseCuervo]

The reason they paid was because they were going to lose in court.

Where was the NRA on all this??? How come they didn't step in and cover the costs of fighting these suits, and indemnify their defendents?

You ever wonder why there has not been a gun case before the Supreme Court since 1934??? You ever wonder just what your NRA money goes to??? You ever wonder how much Wayne's suits cost??? You ever wonder what the salaries are for the NRA top dogs??? You ever wonder what that building cost???

 

[Calif. Hunter]

If it is true that the gun shop "lost" over 200 firearms and that over 50 of those firearms were involved in crimes, then the gun shop WAS negligent, at the very least, and perhaps even deliberately involved in selling firearms through straw buyers or even directly to criminals. The NRA should not have defended the gun shop. A careless or criminal gun shop/dealer is a cause for alarm to all of us.

Do you know that they did NOT assist the manufacturer?

 

[cjcj]

You ever wonder why everyone hates Lawyers?

 

[JoseCuervo]

Originally posted by Calif. Hunter:

Do you know that they did NOT assist the manufacturer?

Without knowing if Fecl is a member of the NRA, I would say the NRA is doing a lousy job of helping Bushmaster, if Fecl and other right-wingers are calling for a boycott on Bushmaster.

Who needs that kind of help from the NRA???


CJ,

You ever wonder why people will join an organization, and not even understand their effectiveness????

 

[Calif. Hunter]

I didn't realize feclnogn directed the activities of the NRA! Wow - I AM impressed!

 

[JoseCuervo]

Hey Cali,

There must be something wrong with the Forum, as my posts keep dissappearing, but your smart-assed comments don't......

From Calif. Hunter - Every time you attack me or anyone else, the post gets deleted. I'm leaving this one up for an example of what not to do.

[ 09-11-2004, 22:55: Message edited by: Calif. Hunter ]

 

[JoseCuervo]

And the example is what? That it is ok for you to make smart-assed posts, but not for me???

I guess you are setting an important standard there....

 

[Calif. Hunter]

"Smart-assed posts" are one thing, personal attacks are something else.

 

[JoseCuervo]

I posted:

Without knowing if Fecl is a member of the NRA, I would say the NRA is doing a lousy job of helping Bushmaster, if Fecl and other right-wingers are calling for a boycott on Bushmaster

Cali posted:

I didn't realize feclnogn directed the activities of the NRA! Wow - I AM impressed!

I then made a comment about Cali's struggle with Reading Comprhension, as it is clear he was unable to comprehend the line "Without knowing if Fecl is a member of the NRA," would indicate that I have no clue as to Fecl's connections to the NRA, but his well known right-wing stances and his call for boycotting Bushmaster seem to prove the NRA is a failure at protecting the Industry from this type of action.

Cali's comment was smart-ass, and so was mine.... Whoopity shit.... life goes on.

 

[Delw]

Elkgunner for once stay on the topic and quit attacking everyone that doesnt agree with ya ok
I am about ready to delete every post in which you go off subject and start picking on someone.

and above my post there are three of yours that will be disapearing.
Delw

 

[Calif. Hunter]

The point is, EG, that your attack of my reading comprehension is nothing more than calling me stupid - dress it up however you like it.

You made the connection between Feclnogn's call for a boycott of Bushmaster and the NRA's support (or lack thereof) to Bushmaster. So my comment is that I was not aware that Feclnogn calling for a boycott of Bushmaster equals an NRA action? Or what else did you mean by "Who needs that kind of help from the NRA???"

Again, calling me or anyone else on this forum stupid, no matter how you insinuate it, is not allowed. Real simple.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

This is going nowhere.