The shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School have sparked numerous lawsuits, most of which are nowhere near completion. However, one might reach a conclusion soon. The lawsuit filed by 16 of the victims' families against the shooter's mother, Nancy Lanza, is pending a judge's approval of a proposed settlement.
You might recall that before Adam Lanza senselessly went on a rampage in Newton, Connecticut, he killed his own mother in her home. She was his first victim. That, however, did not stop the families of some of his other victims from suing her estate.
Lanza used his mother Nancy's rifle during the shootings at the school. The theory behind the lawsuit against her estate is that she failed to properly secure the rifle from getting into the hands of her disturbed son.
A settlement has been reached between lawyers for her estate and lawyers for the victims' families under which the families would equally split her $1.5 million homeowner's insurance proceeds.
The Associated Press reported this story in a recent article titled "Correction: Newton Shooting - Lawsuits Story."
For the settlement to be considered final, a judge needs to approve it.
Setting aside any politics and emotions about the Sandy Hook tragedy, this case raises an interesting question. Is it fair to hold the victim of a shooting's estate responsible for the actions of another person?
Lawyers for the suing families suggest that this lawsuit is mostly symbolic as a warning to gun owners that they need to keep their weapons stored securely.
Reference: Associated Press (August 5, 2015) "Correction: Newton Shooting - Lawsuits Story."
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