A Brooklyn woman who was injured during a mass shooting incident in April aboard a subway car in New York City is suing gun maker Glock. Ilene Steur, 49, was among the 10 victims shot during the attack on an N train in Sunset Park, and on Tuesday filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn.
In her filing, Steur alleged that Glock was negligent for marketing and distributing its products with “reckless disregard for human life.” Steur was reportedly shot in the buttocks and has suffered life-changing injuries.
“They are the ones who put it out there for almost anybody to get — anyone can get a gun,” Steur told the Daily News on Tuesday. “Texas, Buffalo, an innocent little girl in the Bronx. Someone got shot and killed on the Q train. … There has to be better regulation.”
New York Terror Attack
The accused shooter, Frank James, 62, has been accused of carrying out the April 12 gunfire and smoke bomb attack that injured 23 people. It was one of the most violent attacks in the history of the Big Apple’s transit systems. The incident set off a near round-the-clock manhunt that ended with James’ arrest nearly 30 hours later.
He pleaded not guilty to terrorism and weapons charges in Brooklyn Federal Court last month.
James likely faces life in prison if convicted on the charges of carrying out a terrorist attack on a mass transit system, as well as for discharging a firearm during a violent crime.
Targeting Glock
Steur’s lawsuit has alleged that Glock has recklessly marketed its guns, even as the company knew that its products could fall into the wrong hands. It claims that the marketing strategy was first aimed at law enforcement, followed by the entertainment industry, all to build the Glock brand profile and then promote the handguns to civilians.
“Glock and its distributors encourage police departments to make trade-ins earlier than necessary or originally planned so that they can sell more firearms to the police and sell the former police guns at a markup on the civilian market,” the lawsuit claims.
“Glock knows that by oversaturating the market with guns, the guns will go to the secondary markets that serve illegal purchasers,” the lawsuit added.
James had allegedly bought the Glock at an Ohio pawnshop in 2011, but it would have been illegal for him to retain the handgun without a pistol license while living in New York City.
Steur’s attorneys are now asking for Glock to “institute and carry out policies, practices, and programs which eradicate the effects of its past and present unlawful marketing and distribution practices,” as well as asking for financial compensation for “the physical pain and suffering, permanent physical injuries, emotional pain, suffering, mental anguish, embarrassment, and isolation” which resulted from the gunmaker’s “unlawful marketing and distribution practices.”
This lawsuit follows the landmark $73 million settlement in February that was paid by gun manufacturer Remington to families of the victims of the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The families argued the company recklessly marketed its Bushmaster AR-15-style rifle to young adults, notably males.
“The lawsuit … is an effort to hold accountable to a victim a gun manufacturer whose marketing strategies we allege, results in guns being put in the hands of those who kill and maim innocent victims,” Sanford Rubenstein, Steur’s attorney, said via a statement on Tuesday. “Those who manufacture and distribute guns have a moral responsibility to work with government to end the epidemic of gun violence and mass killings in our county.”
Now a Senior Editor for 1945, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer who has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites. He regularly writes about military hardware, and is the author of several books on military headgear including A Gallery of Military Headdress, which is available on Amazon.com. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes.
