Gun Retailer Sued by Families of Texas Church Shooting Victims

Family members of victims of a Texas church shooting are suing a sporting goods chain that sold the weapons used in the 2017 massacre.

The lawsuit filed in state district court in San Antonio alleges Academy Sports & Outdoors illegally sold the assault-style rifle, high-capacity magazine and ammunition to Devin Kelley. It argues Kelley shouldn’t have been able buy the firearm from the New Braunfels, Texas, store because he showed an ID from Colorado, which prohibits the sale of high-capacity weapons.

Kelley used the weapons to kill more than two dozen people at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs. Each family seeks $1 million in damages.

Some families have also separately sued the U.S. Air Force for failing to report Kelley’s past crimes to a federal database.

Topics Lawsuits Texas

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Featured Comment

March 4, 2019 at 1:49 pm

mrbob says:

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It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I am not aware of a federal law that would make the retailer responsible for a transfer that does not comply with another states laws. In most states one can purchase a long gun without being a citizen of the state. Add to that even if the store would have stopped the sale and only sold a 10 round magazine in compliance with CO law there would have been nothing to stop the subject from going down the street to Walmart or any other retailer who sells AR 15 magazines and buying an extreme high capacity magazine of 40 to 100 rounds of ammunition. The rifle Is the only part of the transaction that requires a background check not the sale of other parts and accessories.

As to the claim against the USAF although it will cost all taxpayers this was the true failure in this situation. The sick scum in this case should have been on the list of unlawful possessors due to his conduct in the USAF and they dropped the ball. I do not know if I am the only one noticing a trend of government malfeasance in these cases but it would appear to be alarming to me.

Latest Comments

November 16, 2019 at 6:06 am

Billy Dickson says:

What if this man who shot all those innocent people would have purchased a Ford pickup and had just ran over everyone/ Would the families be suing the Ford Motor Company?
March 5, 2019 at 8:40 am

retired risk manager says:

"Extreme background check" ?? And a "reason" why the gun is necessary? Sorry, your liberal anti-gun biases are on display. The buyer passed a federal background check. Not the... read more
March 4, 2019 at 1:49 pm

mrbob says:

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I am not aware of a federal law that would make the retailer responsible for a transfer that does not comply with another sta... read more