Update: August 20, 2024
On August 19, 2024 a Civil Jury in Texas awarded Santa Fe victims’ families more than $200 million in damages due to loss of companionship, pain and suffering, and other factors.
As part of that verdict, the jury found the shooter, Dimitrios Pagourtzis 80% liable for the shooting. Lucky Gunner was not party to the case - because our company was dismissed two years prior - we had no courtroom presence or ability to defend ourselves as both attorneys for the victims for the families and the defense piled on blame to our the company. Despite the ammo being sold legally, the jury found Lucky Gunner 20% liable for the tragedy.
That evening of the verdict, we released the following statement:
“We were dismissed from this lawsuit more than two years ago. Lucky Gunner wasn’t a party to the trial, so it was easy for the jury to place some of the blame on us because we weren’t there to defend ourselves. Due to our dismissal, Lucky Gunner isn’t responsible for paying any monetary damages awarded by the jury.
It’s worth noting that plaintiff Trent Beasley has said Lucky Gunner didn’t break any laws, and the plaintfiffs’ lead attorney, Clint McGuire, has also publicly acknowledged the same thing. We believe the jury was likely never told that.”
Statement Following Dismissal in 2022
It should come as no surprise that anti-Second Amendment activists will do and say anything to push their agenda, including using tragedy to further their cause. Following a 2018 shooting in Santa Fe, Texas, the activists at Everytown Law saw an opportunity to do just that. The Michael Bloomberg-funded group spearheaded a lawsuit against Lucky Gunner with one clear goal: to drive us out of business. They failed. This week, we announce the dismissal and settlement of that lawsuit.
We spent three years vigorously defending against this lawsuit and the many false allegations levied against our company and its employees. We refused to back down and were committed to fighting as long as necessary to prove we did nothing wrong.
Our loyal customers and suppliers know we follow the law. We are proud of that fact. In the end, a plaintiff and one of the victims of the shooting, Trent Beazley, even said, “Upon reflection and review of the facts, I believe that Lucky Gunner did not break a law.”
Clint McGuire, an attorney for several of the plaintiffs, echoed that sentiment during a press conference highlighting lobbying efforts to change Texas ammo sales laws.
“There is not a law in the State of Texas that requires ammunition sellers - whether they are brick and mortar or whether they are online stores - to require proof of age before they sell ammunition,” McGuire said. But he sued us anyway.
Ending this lawsuit now allowed us to achieve several goals. First, we protected our reputation for following the law. Second, we stopped wasting money on lawyers so we can put it to better use buying inventory for our customers. Finally, we avoided the risk that the jury would incorrectly apply the law, which could set precedent that would hurt your Second Amendment rights going forward.
We are thankful the truth is finally out, even if most in the legacy media have wrongly painted this to be a groundbreaking win for anti-Second Amendment activists. That simply isn’t true. We agreed to continue with the same age verification process we have been using since 2019. We did not agree to change any part of our business as a part of the resolution of this lawsuit.
“We’ve spent years investing in systems and processes to ensure that buying ammo online is secure, convenient, and cost-effective," Jake Felde, Lucky Gunner’s Chief Executive Officer said. “If you’re a regular customer, you won’t notice any difference in the experience."
Helping you exercise your Second Amendment rights is our privilege. We are overwhelmed by the support we have received these past three years, and by the passion our customers show for preserving freedom. We stand ready to serve you for years to come.