Several families of victims of the 2022 Uvalde elementary school shooting are bringing a lawsuit against Call of Duty publisher Activision, Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, and Daniel Defense, the manufacturer of the AR-15-style rifle used in the shooting. The lawsuit alleges that all three companies played a role in “grooming” the shooter, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos. It’s claimed that Ramos became engrossed with guns after playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, which features the DDM4 V7, the gun Ramos purchased a week before the school shooting. Attorney Josh Koskoff, representing the families, asserts that Ramos was “targeted and cultivated online” by the defendants.
Koskoff states that following Ramos’ introduction to Call of Duty in November 2021, the teen’s intensifying weapon fixation was evident in his online activity. His focus turned to Daniel Defense by December, and several Instagram entries showed his growing interest. Koskoff’s argument is that Instagram, Activision, and Daniel Defense collectively “exposed him to the weapon, conditioned him to see it as a tool to solve his problems, and trained him to use it”. He further claimed in an interview with CBS News that nobody took advantage of Instagram’s role in this more than Daniel Defense, and criticized Instagram’s priorities, saying they favor traffic and ad revenue over user safety.
Activision has responded to the shooting, expressing their sympathies and firmly stating that millions enjoy video games without resorting to violence. Both Meta and Daniel Defense have yet to respond to press inquiries. The Entertainment Software Association also addressed the broader issue of violence in video games in a statement but did not comment directly on the pending lawsuit.