US Gun Manufacturer Remington Offers $33 Million to Settle Lawsuit of Sandy Hook Families

Earlier this month, lawyers representing the nine families of victims from the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting claimed that, after seven years of litigation, US gun manufacturer Remington was deliberately slowing the discovery process by submitting over 18,400 unrelated emojis and images, as well as some 15,000 additional image files.

A Tuesday issuance from the legal team of both Remington Arms Co. LLC and Remington Outdoors Co. Inc. detailed that the twice-bankrupt company would be offering each family $3.66 million to "settle all claims inclusive of any fees and costs." 

Lawyers for the family have said that they will "consider the next steps in moving forward" with the trial, which accuses the weapons manufacturer of engaging in shady marketing practices that praised the qualities of their rifles - one of which was used by the 20-year-old gunman in the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, shooting. 

The event left 20 children and six adults dead.  

Remington Bushmaster XM15-E2S used in Sandy Hook shootings

© Wikimedia Commons

The offer comes weeks after lawyers representing the family filed a complaint earlier this month, accusing the manufacturer of refusing to "comply with their discovery obligations." 

"Remington has treated discovery like a game," the complaint reads. "Unwilling to have this case decided by a jury on the merits with a full record, Remington has sought delay and obfuscation at every turn." 

While the lawsuit has been active since 2014, Remington has endured two bankruptcies since then, with the latest filing resulting in an automatic, one-year stay of the court proceedings. The order was recently lifted in June. 

Remington also appealed to the Supreme Court in 2019 to reverse the Connecticut Supreme Court decision to allow the case to go to trial. However, the SCOTUS denied the case. 

Jury selection for the case is scheduled to take place in September.