Highland Park, IL — The aftermath of a tragic Fourth of July mass shooting last year has led to a legal battle against the gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson by the family of a victim, who argue the company has been irresponsibly marketing their military-style weapons to young people. The lawsuit, initiated in Lake County Court by the relatives of the deceased Eduardo Uvaldo, charges the arms manufacturer with appealing directly to teenagers and young adults.
Eduardo Uvaldo was celebrating at a parade in Highland Park when he, along with six others, was fatally shot on July 4, 2022. The assailant, identified by police as Robert Crimo III, reportedly used a Smith & Wesson M&P-15 assault rifle, a weapon modeled after the AR-15. This model has been used in numerous other mass shootings in the United States, including one in Aurora, Colorado.
The lawsuit alleges that Smith & Wesson engaged in “negligent entrustment” by continuing to market the rifle following its use in previous massacres, in violation of Illinois consumer protection laws. Attorney Josh Koskoff, representing the Uvaldo family, criticized the company for shifting their business practices to profit from the increased sales following mass shootings.
Koskoff highlighted a disturbing trend wherein mass shootings have paradoxically boosted Smith & Wesson’s business, noting, “With each new mass shooting came a sales surge.” He accused the company of promoting a “first-person style shooting experience” aimed at younger consumers, a strategy that he argues betrays a “complete disregard for public safety.”
The legal strategy employed by the Uvaldo family echoes that used by Koskoff’s firm in Connecticut, which previously negotiated a significant settlement with another arms manufacturer, Remington, for its role in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012.
Eduardo Uvaldo had immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico as a teenager, proudly adopting his new country as his home. He was about to turn 70 when his life was tragically cut short at the parade, leaving behind a wife of 52 years and a family they raised together in Waukean. “He lived the American dream and he died the American nightmare,” Koskoff stated, summarizing the tragic irony of Uvaldo’s story.
Meanwhile, criminal proceedings against Robert Crimo III continue, with the accused recently turning down a plea deal that would have sentenced him to life imprisonment. His trial has been scheduled for February.
Repeated attempts were made to contact Smith & Wesson for comments on the allegations, but they have not responded.
This legal action against Smith & Wesson not only seeks justice for Uvaldo’s death but also challenges the broader issues of gun control and marketing tactics in the industry, attempting to spotlight and curtail the targeting of susceptible young markets with military-grade weapons.