One gun company told investors that its line of assault rifles was aimed at the “Hardcore” and “Young Gun” segments of the market. Another filled its social media feed with photos of soldiers in full tactical gear accompanied by captions like “USE WHAT THEY USE.” And one especially brazen company created a faux assault weapon for kids, which they pitched by urging adults to “Get ’em one just like yours.” The overall message was clear: Shooting lots of bullets fast is fun—and the less said about the consequences, the better.
Gun industry executives only needed to study the growing list of American mass shootings for proof that these weapons were reaching their target audience of young men with battlefield fantasies. Of the 10 most destructive US mass shootings committed between January 2012 and July 2022, seven were perpetrated by male shooters between the ages of 18 and 26. And 10 of the deadliest American mass shootings since 2012 involved AR-15 assault rifles.
The need to keep firearms out of dangerous hands has never been more urgent.
These gun industry players operate as if they are above the law for a simple reason: In certain respects, they are. In 2005, Congress bowed down to the National Rifle Association and granted the gun industry a broad shield from most legal claims when crimes are committed with their products. This “Stay Out of Jail Free” card has emboldened companies to create ads that make wielding an assault weapon look as harmless as picking up a video game controller. If the tobacco industry enjoyed similar protections, it might still be pitching smokes to kids.
But finally, the consequences for gun companies that engage in irresponsible marketing practices have arrived. The organization I lead, Everytown for Gun Safety, is pursuing multiple claims against companies that we allege have violated federal marketing regulations. And just last year, the families of nine victims of the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School settled a lawsuit for $73 million against the maker of one of the assault weapons used in that tragedy, after also arguing that the company’s attempts to woo troubled young men violated Connecticut’s unfair trade practices law.
With gun violence now the leading cause of death for American children and teens, the need to keep firearms out of dangerous hands has never been more urgent. The gun industry—which includes not just gun manufacturers but also ammunition companies, store owners, and gun accessory developers—could address this crisis on its own. Their to-do list should include cutting off rogue dealers, marketing their products responsibly, getting out of the assault weapons business, and innovating to make guns safer rather than more deadly. But all of that’s unlikely, which is why we’re using every tool at our disposal to prod the industry to start putting public safety ahead of private profits.