Victims of a 2018 shooting rampage in Toronto that left two dead and 13 injured are suing the American maker of the pistol used in the attack, holding it responsible for not making guns safer.
The class action, according to court documents obtained by AFP on Tuesday, alleges that Smith and Wesson knew that its M&P 40 handgun "was an ultra-hazardous product."
But the lawsuit notes that Smith and Wesson was aware that "more than 200,000 firearms" like the one used in the Danforth shooting "were stolen from their owners every year in the United States."
In the Canadian case, the plaintiffs say Smith and Wesson should have included safety technology in its .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol, which was made available for sale in Canada starting in 2013, "so as to avoid, prevent or deter substantial and foreseeable harm."