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New York subway shooting victim sues gunmaker Glock

New York, United StatesEdited By: Moohita Kaur GargUpdated: Jun 01, 2022, 11:04 PM IST
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Steur also alleges that the company neglected to instruct dealers on how to avoid illegal firearms acquisitions and also intentionally supplied more firearms than the legitimate market could bear in order to stimulate secondary market sales. Photograph:(WION Web Team)

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The United States is in the midst of a massive gun-buying boom that shows no signs of slowing down, according to the most comprehensive official tally of gun commerce in two decades

Ilene Steur, one of the victims of the April New York subway shooting is suing gunmaker Glock, manufacturer of the firearm used in the attack. The perpetrator of the Subway attack had used a Glock 17, 9mm pistol purchased in 2011, in Ohio State. The lawsuit comes as the United States is still reeling from two high-profile mass shootings this month. One at a Buffalo, New York supermarket that killed ten people and another at a Uvalde, Texas elementary school that led to the death of 21 people; 19 students and 2 teachers. One of the 10 people shot on April 12, Ilene says that the gunmaker uses its marketing efforts to appeal to criminals.

She has filed a civil suit in the federal court, where she has accused the Austrian company Glock of using "marketing that emphasises firearm characteristics such as their high capacity and ease of concealment, that appeal to prospective purchasers with criminal intent."

Steur also alleges that the company neglected to instruct dealers on how to avoid illegal firearms acquisitions and also intentionally supplied more firearms than the legitimate market could bear in order to stimulate secondary market sales.

"Gun manufacturers do not live in a bubble," said Mark Shirian, one of Steur's attorneys.

Watch | As US grapples with gun terror, this is how NZ, Canada, Australia changed laws after mass shootings

They are well aware that their marketing methods enable consumers with nefarious motives, putting the lives of innocent individuals at jeopardy he said in a statement, adding that "this lawsuit seeks to hold the gun industry accountable."

A study by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives shows a vivid picture of a nation armed to the teeth.

In the United States, the number of firearms per 100 individuals has climbed to 120.5 from 88 in 2011. This is far more than any other country.

The United States is in the midst of a massive gun-buying boom that shows no signs of slowing down, according to the most comprehensive official tally of gun commerce in two decades. Since 2000, the annual number of firearms manufactured has nearly tripled, and the previous three years have seen a significant increase.

In the last 20 years, gun production in the United States has more than tripled, with 11.3 million weapons estimated to be sold in 2020.

(With inputs from agencies)

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