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Defendants in the lawsuit include Smith & Wesson Brands Inc,
Beretta USA Corp, Bushmaster Firearms Industries Inc, Colt's
Manufacturing Co LLC and Glock Inc. The city is seeking an
unspecified money award to combat gun violence.
Bushmaster said in a statement that it had not fully reviewed
the complaint but that "at first blush" it appeared "false." The
other companies did not immediately respond to requests for
comment.
The case appeared to be the first time a city has sued major gun
companies under a 2021 New York law that allows lawsuits against
gun makers and sellers for creating a "public nuisance" through
their business practices.
Buffalo claims that the gun companies created such a nuisance by
marketing practices that emphasize the high capacity and ease of
concealing their products, appealing to people with criminal
intent; deliberately supplying more guns than needed in the
legitimate market; and failing to take steps to stop illegal
sales.
"Defendants' actions have created, maintained, or contributed to
a condition in Buffalo that impacts the health and well being of
us all," the lawsuit said.
Buffalo was the site of a racially motivated mass shooting in
May that killed 10 Black people at a grocery store. The shooter
used a Bushmaster rifle.
New York City is currently pursuing a lawsuit against
distributors under the state public nuisance law seeking to halt
sales of so-called ghost guns, kits of components that allow
buyers to construct finished guns without serial numbers of
background checks.
(Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by David
Gregorio)
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