HARTFORD, Conn. — The families of nine children and adults killed in the 2012 Newtown school shooting are asking a federal judge to return their lawsuit against gun maker Remington to state court, where legal experts say it may have a better chance of succeeding.
The families and shooting survivor Natalie Hammond say Remington’s Bushmaster AR-15 rifle is too deadly to sell to civilians. That rifle was used to kill 20 first-graders and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
The plaintiffs filed a motion Friday saying North Carolina-based Remington improperly moved the case out of state court. Remington and other defendants say federal court is the proper jurisdiction because they aren’t located in Connecticut.
Legal experts say the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has consistently dismissed lawsuits against gun makers.
