Call of Duty publisher Activision is among companies that have been named in a lawsuit filed by families of Uvalde school shooting victims. The tragedy occurred in May 2022 at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, with 18-year-old Salvador Ramos fatally shooting dozens and injuring just as many people. The lawsuit also names Facebook maker Meta, with weapon manufacturer Daniel Defense sued separately.
Why Call of Duty publisher Activision and parent company Microsoft are facing a lawsuit
Josh Koskoff, the attorney representing Uvalde victims and their families, blamed all three companies for conditioning and grooming Ramos to carry out the crime. Calling the trio a “three-headed monster,” Koskoff said that Call of Duty helped train Ramos in shooting, and that the game was essentially a platform for practice.
According to The Associated Press, Ramos had been playing Call of Duty games since he was 15. He allegedly played one of the titles with the same assault rifle that he used to carry out the heinous crime.
Call of Duty games are marketed with an age rating of 18+, but there isn’t much Activision or parent company Microsoft can do to prevent those under 18 from getting their hands on them. In response to the lawsuit, the publisher expressed sympathies for the victims and their families, and pointed out that “millions” around the world enjoy games like Call of Duty but don’t resort to violence.
Our thoughts go out to the victims and their families.
