Phillips v. Lucky Gunner, LLC

84 F. Supp. 3d 1216, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 39284, 2015 WL 1499382
CourtDistrict Court, D. Colorado
DecidedMarch 27, 2015
DocketCivil Action No. 14-cv-02822-RPM
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 84 F. Supp. 3d 1216 (Phillips v. Lucky Gunner, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Phillips v. Lucky Gunner, LLC, 84 F. Supp. 3d 1216, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 39284, 2015 WL 1499382 (D. Colo. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

Richard P. Matsch, Senior District Judge

Jessica Ghawi was one of 12 persons killed during a mass shooting at the Auro[1220]*1220ra Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, on July 20, 2012. Her parents, Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, filed this civil action in the District Court, Arapahoe County, Colorado, alleging that defendants sold the shooter some of the equipment he used in the attack and that the shooter was James Holmes, described as a “patently dangerous homicidal man.”

Defendants sell sporting goods and tactical gear, such as ammunition magazines, ammunition, and body armor and all complained of sales are alleged to have been transacted online. Plaintiffs do not allege that any of the defendants had any direct, personal contact with Holmes. Rather, they specifically allege that Holmes made his acquisitions “without any human interaction.”

Plaintiffs allege that defendants’ internet business practices do not' include any reasonable safeguards to prevent dangerous people such as Holmes from purchasing the potentially harmful wares that they sell. Plaintiffs claim that defendants’ business practices constitute negligence, negligent entrustment, and public nuisance under a Colorado statute1 and the Aurora Municipal Code. Plaintiffs seek an injunction requiring the defendants to change their business practices in an undescribed manner to be approved by the court and to enjoin their present business practices until such changes have been made. No other relief is requested. The named defendants, excluding Gold E Strike have, separately, moved to dismiss all claims under Fed.R.Civ.P12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim.

The plaintiffs live in Texas. Their daughter lived in Colorado. Defendants are Lucky Gunner, LLC d/b/a bulkam-mo.com (“Lucky Gunner”), the Sportsman’s Guide, Brain Platt d/b/a BPT ARMS (“Platt”), Gold Strike E Commerce LLC d/b/a bulletproofbodyarmorhq.com2, and John Does 1 through 10, identities unknown. All defendants are citizens of states other than Texas and Colorado. The case was removed to this court by the defendants, exercising diversity of citizenship jurisdiction provided by 28 U.S.C. § 1382.

The Amended Complaint contains 256 paragraphs. Paragraphs 17 through 37 are detailed allegations about Holmes’s pre-incident behavior leading to this allegation. For example, plaintiffs allege that:

38. Defendants in this case knew,' should have known, or knew that it was substantially certain, that in this state of mental instability Holmes would present a danger to society if he were allowed to possess dangerous material. Nonetheless, Defendants negligently supplied and entrusted him with the material he used to launch his assault.

Amended Complaint, p. 6.

Paragraphs 39-40 develop a sale history for the materials used by Holmes in the attack. On June 13, 2012, Holmes purchased a high-capacity magazine, ammunition, hearing protection and a laser sight via the Sportsman’s Guide’s website. On June 28, 2012 Homes purchased at least 1050 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition, 2250 rounds of .223 caliber ammunition, and 25 rounds of 12 gauge shotgun shells via Lucky Gunner’s website. On May 10, 2012 Holmes purchased two 6oz. tear gas grenades from BTP ARMS’ website. The [1221]*1221firearms involved are alleged to have been purchased from brick and mortar firearms dealers in Colorado.

There are many paragraphs alleging details of preparation for and execution of the attack on the theater using some of the material sold to Holmes by the defendants. The plaintiffs have also alleged other high-profile shootings and allege the following:

189. The combination of (I) the highly-publicized preceding incidents of mass shootings perpetrated by the dangerous mentally ill; (ii) the federal and state laws recognizing the dangers of selling firearms to the dangerous mentally ill; (iv) the Defendant’s knowledge of the risks posed by their products in the wrong hands and (v) common sense, lead to the undeniable conclusion that the Defendants knew, should have known, or knew that it was substantially certain that selling Holmes dangerous materiel would create a foréseeable risk of death or injury.
190. Despite this knowledge of the foreseeable risk that certain individuals with severe mental illness will cause serious injury to themselves and/or others when given access to this materiel, the Defendants failed to make reasonable inquiries, and instead negligently employed unreasonably dangerous sales practices that supplied a dangerous person with the means to engage in a mass attack, thereby causing 12 people to die and many more to be injured.

Amended Complaint, p. 20.

Well-pleaded allegations are taken as true for purposes of ruling on the instant motions, but the allegations have not been proven in Holmes’s criminal trial, which is pending in the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado. The motions have been briefed and oral argument was heard. The plaintiffs argue that these motions are premature because discovery is necessary to develop information about the defendants’ business practices and awareness of the dangers they present. On the theories plaintiffs present, however, no discovery is needed.

The Colorado General Assembly declared in 2000 the policy of the state that “civil actions in tort for any remedy arising from physical or emotional injury, physical damage, or death caused by the discharge of a firearm or ammunition shall be based only upon an actual defect in the design or manufacture of such firearm or ammunition or upon the commission of a violation of a state or federal statute or regulation and not upon any other theory of liability.” C.R.S. § 13-21-501(1). This policy was codified in C.R.S. § 13-21-504.5, which provides:

(1) A person or other public or private entity may not bring an action in tort, other than a product liability action, against a firearms or ammunition manufacturer, importer, or dealer for any remedy arising from physical or emotional injury, physical damage, or death caused by the discharge of a firearm or ammunition.
(2) In no type of action shall a firearms or ammunition manufacturer, importer, or dealer be held liable as a third party for the actions of another person.
(3) The court, upon the filing of a motion to dismiss pursuant to rule 12(b) of the Colorado rules of civil procedure, shall dismiss any action brought against a firearms or ammunition manufacturer, importer, ' or dealer that the court determines is prohibited under subsection (1) or (2) of this section. Upon dismissal pursuant to this subsection (3), the court shall award reasonable attorney fees, in addition to [1222]*1222costs, to' each defendant named in the action.
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, a firearms or ammunition manufacturer, importer, or dealer may be sued in tort for any damages proximately caused by an act of the manufacturer, importer, or dealer in violation of a state or federal statute or regulation.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
84 F. Supp. 3d 1216, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 39284, 2015 WL 1499382, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/phillips-v-lucky-gunner-llc-cod-2015.