John – Brady just took legal action demanding that assault rifle manufacturer Smith & Wesson be investigated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for deceptive marketing. 

Let me tell you why we’re taking this action, along with our partners Fred Guttenberg and Everytown for Gun Safety:

In 2018, Fred Guttenberg’s 14-year-old daughter, Jaime, was murdered along with 13 other teenagers and three educators in the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

The Parkland shooter used a military-style Smith & Wesson M&P15 .223 assault rifle to fire almost 150 rounds. Here’s why that matters:

Smith & Wesson has chosen to sell assault weapons to the general public and profit from them. Our complaint explains that Smith & Wesson calls their assault weapons “M&P” – for military and police – and they specifically use imagery associated with military and law enforcement, visuals from first-person-shooter video games, and images of children shooting guns in their advertising.

Why do they do this? Our complaint alleges that for over a decade, Smith & Wesson used these marketing tactics because they want to make their assault rifles attractive to young men enamored with military fantasies – like the 19-year-old Parkland shooter. 

They know that assault weapons are the weapon of choice for mass killers, and they know that their assault weapons have been used in multiple horrific mass shootings. That’s why we filed a formal petition to call on the FTC to investigate Smith & Wesson’s marketing campaign. We believe it’s past time we hold gun manufacturers accountable for their roles in senseless gun violence across the country – and we hope you’ll join us. 

Please, John, will you support Brady’s commitment to gun violence survivors like Fred Guttenberg by adding your name to our petition to hold Smith & Wesson accountable for their role in the 2018 Parkland massacre?

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The sad truth is that the Parkland massacre wasn’t the only tragedy Smith & Wesson played a role in. Their M&P assault rifles have been used in mass shootings across the country – including the 2012 shooting in Aurora, Colorado; the 2015 shooting in San Bernardino, California; and the shooting in Poway, California, in 2019. 

Our complaint calls on the FTC to investigate and consider ordering the Massachusetts-based firearms manufacturer to:

* Cease the use of military imagery and associations in its M&P rifle advertisements aimed at civilian purchasers
* Incorporate into all ads appropriate warnings about the dangers of M&P rifles
* Cease promotion of M&P rifles on social media disproportionately used by young people and in advertisements that mimic video games

We’re leading this fight because no family should ever have to feel the pain and suffering that Fred Guttenberg’s family experiences every day. We believe military-style assault rifles should never be marketed to civilians – especially not young people and potential mass shooters. If we’re going to hold gun manufacturers accountable, we need you with us, John:

To honor Jaime Guttenberg and those killed in Parkland, can I count on you to add your name now to our petition to hold Smith & Wesson accountable and prevent mass shooters from claiming more lives? 

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Thanks for joining this fight and making sure everyday people can live free of gun violence and tragedy.

Take care,

Hannah Litman
Digital Fundraising Strategist



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