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$100M Verdict: Ghost Gun Kit Linked to Teen Suicide
17 Jul
Summary
- A jury awarded over $100 million against a ghost gun dealer.
- The dealer allegedly sold a pistol kit to an 18-year-old.
- This verdict is the largest against a gun seller ever.
A jury in Louisville, Kentucky, has ordered a ghost gun company to pay more than $100 million following the death of an 18-year-old who purchased a pistol-assembly kit online. The verdict, believed to be the largest ever against a gun dealer, was awarded to the family of Henry Willis.
Willis's family sued Husky Armory LLC, alleging the company skirted federal regulations that prohibit selling such kits to individuals under 21. Henry Willis was 18 when he acquired the kit in 2023 and assembled the handgun himself. Tragically, he died by suicide six days later.
Attorneys for the Willis family stated that Husky Armory flouted regulations requiring background checks and age verification for buyers of ghost gun components. The company, based in Omaha, Nebraska, did not appear for the trial, and a default judgment was previously issued. The jury awarded $4.2 million in economic damages and $100 million in punitive damages.
