Uvalde mass shooting survivors, victims' families sue UPS and FedEx

Skye Seipp, USA TODAY NETWORK
·3 min read

AUSTIN, Texas — Families of the children who survived the 2022 Robb Elementary mass shooting and parents of those who died have filed a lawsuit against UPS and FedEx, claiming the shipping companies played a part in the massacre that left two teachers and 19 children dead by transporting the rifle and trigger accessories to the gunman.

The lawsuit, filed in Bexar County in May, seeks a jury trial to determine compensatory and punitive damages. The suit claims that the actions of the shipping company caused the families to "suffer and sustain severe physical, mental, and emotional harm" that has resulted and will continue to result in medical expenses and losses of income throughout their lives.

FedEx delivered the AR-15-style rifle to Oasis Outback, which is where the shooter picked up the firearm, the lawsuit said. UPS sent the Hell-Fire trigger modification, which allows a semiautomatic rifle to shoot at a faster rate of speed, to the shooter.

The lawsuit cites the companies' rules for sending packages, such as a UPS rule that claims "shipments must not contain goods which might endanger human or animal life" and another from FedEx that says it's "not acceptable" to ship "firearms, weaponry, ammunition, and their parts."

UPS on lawsuit: Company will 'defend accordingly'

The suit also claims the carriers violated federal codes for interstate sales of firearms and that UPS broke a federal law that bans firearms within 1,000 feet of schools by shipping the trigger modification to the shooter's home address, which was within 1,000 feet of Robb Elementary.

A statement by UPS said the lawsuit "has no merit" and that the company would "defend accordingly."

"Our hearts go out to the Uvalde victims and their families," the statement read. "Shipping firearms and components is highly regulated; UPS complies, and requires its customers to comply, with all applicable federal laws."

FedEx also said the company is "committed to the lawful, secure, and safe movement of regulated items through our network, and we comply with applicable laws and regulations." The company had not been served as of Monday, the statement said.

Additionally, the suit states that the shooter was under the age of 18 when he purchased the weapon and trigger modification, which is illegal. A report by the Texas House Investigative Committee on the Robb Elementary Shooting said the shooter bought the rifle shortly after turning 18.

Lawsuit against Meta, Activision

The lawsuit was filed on the second anniversary of the mass shooting, the same day parents and relatives of those killed filed another suit against social media and video game companies and a gun manufacturer.

The wrongful death suits were filed in Texas and California against Meta, Instagram's parent company; Activision, a video game publisher; and Daniel Defense, a weapons company that manufactured the assault rifle used by the mass shooter in Uvalde.

A news release sent by the law offices of Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder PC and Guerra LLP said the lawsuits show that, over the past 15 years, the three companies have partnered in a "scheme that preys upon insecure, adolescent boys."

According to the release, Salvador Ramos, the lone gunman in the Robb Elementary massacre, purchased the assault rifle he used in the shooting minutes after he turned 18. Days later, he carried out the second worst mass shooting in the country's history, where hundreds of law enforcement officers waited more than an hour before entering the classroom.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Uvalde mass shooting: Families of victims sue companies UPS and FedEX

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