Parents of Parkland shooting victim Joaquin Oliver are suing the US government
MIAMI - The parents of Parkland shooting victim Joaquin Oliver are suing the US government for putting Second Amendment gun rights over their son's right to live.
The lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Manuel and Patricia Oliver by the group Global Action for Gun Violence and the Civil Rights Clinic at George Washington University School of Law.
The lawsuit alleges that Joaquin was killed as a consequence of the actions of the US that enabled high risk firearm sales unsuitable to civilian buyers. It also claims the US has failed to regulate gun sales the way other countries have, with strong regulations, to protect their citizens from gunfire.
It is the first of its kind to claim the US's failure to regulate gun access and violence is a violation of human rights.
"My son was shot 280,000 victims ago. So this is happening really often. We had a mass shooting a couple of weeks ago and we don't see anyone offended about it. So sometimes you have to take things by your own hands," said Manuel Oliver.
"What we would like is for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to declare that the US is violating its human rights obligations," said attorney Jonathan Lowy.
Lowy, who is president of Global Action on Gun Violence, said they want to see reforms that keep firearms away from dangerous people and assault weapons off the streets.