A ghost gun organization has been ordered to pay over $100 million in the death of a Kentucky teen who bought the company’s pistol-building kit online.
The verdict was awarded by a jury on July 15 after a trial centered on whether the Husky Armory LLC avoided federal regulations prohibiting the sale of the gun-assembly kits to consumers under 21 years old.
The family of Henry Willis stated he was 18 years old when he bought a Glock G19 pistol “build kit” from Husky Armory’s website in 2023.
Citing the wrongful-death lawsuit, The Associated Press reported that Willis assembled the handgun in his garage and used it to end his life six days later.
Everytown Law, which represented the Willis family, told the AP that the $104.2 million payout from Husky Armory LLC was the largest ever reached against a gun seller, eclipsing the $73 million settlement awarded to the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting by the rifle maker Remington.
On Husky Armory LLC’s website, the company advertised the product as having “everything you need to build your own Glock style pistol from the comfort of your home,” explaining that the weapon could be constructed by “nearly anyone with a brain,” the AP reported, referencing the lawsuit.
Husky Armory LLC, which is based in Omaha, Nebraska, was not present for the trial, the family and their lawyers told the AP.
During a news conference on July 16, Laura Herp, Willis’ mother, described her son as a “kind, gentle child” who had struggled with mental health issues in the months leading up to his death, according to the AP.
Furthermore, a state court in Louisville previously issued a default judgment against the vendor for failing to respond to the lawsuit.
After a two-day trial this week, a jury awarded $4.2 million in financial damages and $100 million in punitive damages to the family.
Louisville-based attorney Ben Potash joins LiveNOW’s Alexandra Goldberg to discuss.
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