Uvalde Victims' Families, Survivors Plan Multi-Billion Dollar Lawsuit
The families of victims and survivors of the deadly Uvalde school shooting are planning to file a multi-billion dollar class action lawsuit against a number of law enforcement agencies and a gun manufacturer, according to California-based law firm Bonner & Bonner.
The $27 billion lawsuit looks to name a number of agencies ― including school and local police, sheriffs, Texas Rangers, U.S. Border Patrol and the Texas Department of Safety – along with the manufacturer of the gun used in the shooting, attorney Charles Bonner told KSAT-TV.
The lawsuit is also expected to name the city of Uvalde, the Uvalde school board, the Uvalde city council and Oasis Outback, the shop where the accused gunman purchased the weapon, KSAT-TV reported.
Criticism over law enforcement’s response to the shooting that killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary has been mounting for months. The lawsuit is expected to allege “numerous failures” by the Uvalde school district along with law enforcement, KENS-TV reported.
“People have a right to life under the 14th Amendment and what we’ve seen here is that the law enforcement agencies have shown a deliberate conscious disregard of the life,” said Bonner.
A family member of a shooting victim, who did not wish to share their name, was greeted by a friend following a Uvalde city council meeting in July. (Photo: Eric Gay via Associated Press)
Bonner & Bonner expects to represent roughly a dozen families and hopes the lawsuit will find its “longer-term goal” of creating a fund to cover psychological treatment for victims.
Bonner said he expects the lawsuit to be filed in September following the Justice Department’s shooting investigation.
“Everyone in this world are hurting and bleeding about what is happening here in Uvalde. And it’s up to us to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he told KSAT-TV.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
