Gun Accessory Manufacturer to Pay $1.75 Million to Victims of Buffalo Supermarket Shooting

In a landmark legal decision with potential nationwide implications, a company that manufactured a firearm modification kit has agreed to pay $1.75 million to settle a civil lawsuit brought by survivors and families of victims of the racist mass shooting at a Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, New York, on May 14, 2022. The settlement, announced by New York Attorney General Letitia James, centers on the company’s role in providing instructions that allegedly enabled the shooter to adapt a semi-automatic rifle to accept high-capacity magazines, violating New York law. This case represents a novel application of state public nuisance laws to hold certain firearms industry actors accountable, bypassing the broad federal immunity provided by the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA).

Introduction: A New Chapter in Firearms Litigation

The tragic events in Buffalo, where a gunman targeting Black shoppers killed 10 people and wounded three, reign