© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Families of Sandy Hook victims reach settlement with Remington

ELISSA NADWORNY, HOST:

Nine years after 26 people were shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, families of some of the victims have reached a settlement with the company that made the weapon. Connecticut Public Radio's Frankie Graziano has the details.

FRANKIE GRAZIANO, BYLINE: Attorneys for the family say gun-maker Remington's insurance companies will pay out $73 million as part of the settlement. Francine Wheeler's 6-year-old son, Benjamin, was among the 26 people killed in the shooting. She stood with her husband, David.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

FRANCINE WHEELER: Our legal system has give (ph) us some justice today, but David and I will never have true justice. True justice would be our 15-year-old, healthy, and (crying) standing next to us right now.

GRAZIANO: Their attorney, Joshua Koskoff, spent time on the lethality of the gun during the news conference.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JOSHUA KOSKOFF: It's not a modern sporting rifle. It's not a family Swiss Army knife. It's a combat weapon.

GRAZIANO: To get ahead in the case, he had to argue against immunity for the gun-maker. Koskoff and his colleagues used a Connecticut law about unfair trade practices to say that Remington could be liable for the actions of the shooter. As a result of the settlement, the plaintiffs say documents collected during the discovery phase of the lawsuit will be made available to the public - documents they believe show the gun-maker's culpability in the shooting. Koskoff says Remington targeted the marketing of the gun used in the killings to young people.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

KOSKOFF: A combat weapon was used not by a highly trained soldier, but by a deeply troubled kid.

GRAZIANO: Nicole Hockley's son Dylan was killed that day. She says the settlement is a message to entities like banks and insurance companies that support the gun industry that they, too, can be held accountable.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

NICOLE HOCKLEY: Which will save lives and stop more shootings.

GRAZIANO: Remington hasn't commented on the settlement, which still needs a judge's approval.

For NPR News, I'm Frankie Graziano in Trumbull, Conn. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Frankie Graziano is the host of 'The Wheelhouse,' focusing on how local and national politics impact the people of Connecticut.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.