Victim of New York Subway Shooting Files Lawsuit Against Gun Manufacturer Glock

On April 13, the perpetrator of the New York subway shooting, Frank James (right), is being arrested and extradited by the New York Police Department. [Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] On April 12th (local time) during the morning rush hour, the victim of a shooting incident on the New York subway filed a lawsuit against the firearm company Glock, major foreign media reported on the 1st (local time). The handgun used by the perpetrator Frank James, who carried out the indiscriminate shooting, was a product of Glock.

The plaintiff is a 49-year-old woman named Aileen Steer, who resides in Brooklyn, New York. Steer was taking the subway to go to work that morning when the tragedy occurred.

Steer demanded compensation for gunshot wounds and psychological damages. She also called for measures to eradicate the marketing effects of firearm companies.

Steer’s legal representatives argued in the complaint submitted to the Brooklyn Federal Court that "due to the marketing and distribution practices of firearm companies, criminals including James have a much higher likelihood of obtaining firearms."

On April 12th during the morning rush hour, James detonated two smoke grenades on the New York subway N line train and fired 33 rounds from a handgun. Ten passengers were hit by James’s gunfire, and 19 others were injured while evacuating. The New York Police Department revealed that James purchased the Glock handgun in Ohio.

Last year, New York State passed a law allowing victims of gun violence to sue firearm companies for endangering public safety and health. Steer filed the lawsuit against Glock based on this law.

Firearm companies challenged the constitutionality of the law, but last week the federal court in Albany, New York State’s capital, dismissed the lawsuit filed by the firearm companies.

On the same day, at the shareholder meeting of another firearm company, Sturm, a shareholder proposal demanding a human rights impact report was passed.

The nonprofit health organization Roman Catholic proposed the agenda. Roman Catholic stated, "All firearm manufacturers endanger human rights," and criticized that "Sturm lacks policies or responses to take responsibility for the misuse of firearms." They also pointed out that the report published by Sturm in 2019 failed to produce meaningful solutions to the problem of gun violence.

With recent shootings, including the incident at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas on the 24th of last month, voices calling for gun control are growing louder in the United States, and pressure on firearm companies is increasing.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.