Families of Uvalde school shooting victims sue makers of ‘Call of Duty’
(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - The families of the victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas are suing the makers of the video game, "Call of Duty."
In the lawsuit, the families are suing Activision and Instagram owner Meta Platforms, saying that the companies bear responsibility for the products used by the teenage gunman, Salvador Ramos.
A lawyer for Activision and Meta Platforms argued the judge should dismiss the lawsuit, saying the First Amendment protects the video game makers.
Meanwhile, the attorney for the families, Josh Koskoff, argued the video game goes further than artistic representation and marketing.
"At the end of the day, what's happening right in front of your eyes is that one of the most massive and most profitable companies in America, Activision, that is reaping profits off of training kids to kill and addicting them and stealing their, their their childhood is trying to use a statue called anti slap. And I slap is designed for the little guy, so that they don't get crushed by corporations like Activision.
In 2011, which most people who know anything about mass shootings, would say is the inflection point at which we went from a mass shooting once in a while to a steady parade of them that continue to this day. The point was when a Norway shooter took a assault rifle on an island and killed 77 people. July, 2011 okay, you know what he said? He said he learned how to kill based on the best training simulator, simulator out there, Call of Duty, Modern Warfare. That's what he said in 2011 which was now 14 years ago."
Josh Koskoff, attorney for the families
Kimberly Rubio, who lost her daughter, Lexi, in the shooting, said she traveled with the families of Jackie Casares and Tess Mata to seek answers.
"It is our hope that this case will move forward so we can get those answers. We appreciate that it's a complicated issue, so we're also thankful to the judge for hearing our case," Rubio expressed.
The lawsuit, one of many by Uvalde families, was filed last year, two years after one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.
