The son of two victims killed in the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue attack has filed suit against the gun manufacturer, Colt, and the National Rifle Association in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Mark Simon's parents, Sylvan and Bernice Simon were 2 of 11 people who were killed in the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh. In his lawsuit, Simon claims that both the gun manufacturer and gun advocacy group are responsible for helping to radicalize the shooter, Robert Bowers.

The lawsuit was filed in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas earlier this week. Simon argues that both Colt and the NRA helped to spread “mendacious white supremacist conspiracy theories” that resulted in the radicalization of Bowers. This radicalization spurred a hatred of Jews, leading him to commit his heinous act. The lawsuit reads in part, “Bowers was not born fearing and hating Jews, the gun lobby taught him to do that.” During his rampage, Bowers was reported to have been spewing anti-Semitic speech.

The lawsuit also takes issue with the AR-15 rifle. Attorneys for Simon argued that Colt by not designing the gun so that it only had fixed-capacity magazines, accepted less-lethal rounds, and prevented bump firing. The lawsuit highlights how the AR-15 rifle without these safeguards operated like a machine gun, causing substantial damage.

The AR-15 assault rifle has been at the center of controversy for several years as it has been the gun of choice for many mass shootings across the nation. According to recent data collected by Axios, since 2017, 12 out of 31 mass shootings in our nation were carried out with an assault rifle. The weapon has caused 39% of deaths in these shootings and 92% of injuries.

The NRA is also targeted in the lawsuit for similar fear-mongering tactics. The lawsuit explains that the NRA uses an “us-versus-them” mentality that promoted “stochastic terrorism.” The lawsuit explains that this narrative from the NRA is highlighted in their ad campaigns and the general promotion of the association within its member-community.

The lawsuit points to speeches made by executive vice president Wayne LaPierre that furthers the divisiveness between opposing groups. The lawsuit highlights one comment made by LaPierre that furthers negative stereotypes about Jews. In a speech LaPierre shares,

"If … these so-called new European socialists take over the House, and the Senate, and god forbid they get the White House again, our American freedoms could be lost and our country will be changed forever. And the first to go will be the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. It is all backed in this country by the social engineering and the billions of people like George Soros, Michael Bloomberg, Tom Steyer and more."

The NRA has recently filed for bankruptcy in the state of New York. Because of this, the lawsuit against them has been put on a temporary stay. However, proceedings will continue against Colt.

Bowers, who murdered 11 and injured six during his rampage, is still waiting for his trail. The prosecution in his case is seeking the death penalty.