Conn. Suits Seek to Access Lanza Estate’s Homeowner Policy

The families of nine people killed in the Newtown elementary school shooting in Connecticut have filed lawsuits against the estate of the gunman’s mother.

The lawsuits contend Nancy Lanza failed to properly secure her legally owned Bushmaster AR-15 rifle, which her troubled adult son, Adam Lanza, used to kill 20 children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in December 2012, the Connecticut Post reported on March 13.

Adam Lanza killed his mother at their Newtown home before carrying out the school shooting and committing suicide as police arrived.

The lawsuits seek to collect on Nancy Lanza’s homeowner’s insurance. Bridgeport lawyer Josh Koskoff, representing eight of the families suing, said homeowner’s insurance applies when a person is injured as a result of an unsecured firearm in a home being accessed by a third party.

“With this many claimants, the money ends up being a symbolic gesture, but it serves as an important reminder that people who keep firearms in the home must be scrupulous about securing their weapons,” Koskoff said in a statement, adding that the policy is estimated to be worth between $1 million and $1.5 million.

Eight of the lawsuits were filed in Superior Court in Bridgeport. One was filed in Danbury.