Gun Accessory Giant Mean Arms Slapped With $1.75M Payout Over Lyons Racist Massacre—Barred From New York by AG Letitia James.
Gun accessory manufacturer Mean Arms has been ordered to pay $1.75 million in penalties and restitution following a lawsuit tied to its role in supplying equipment used in the racially motivated massacre in Lyons, authorities announced Friday.
The civil judgment, secured by Letitia James, also permanently bars the company from conducting business in New York. The Attorney General’s office alleged that the company illegally marketed and sold firearm components designed to skirt state gun safety laws, ultimately enabling the weapon used in the deadly attack.
Investigators said the shooter obtained parts that allowed a firearm to be modified into a configuration prohibited under New York law. While the company did not carry out the violence, the lawsuit argued that its actions materially contributed by distributing products that undermined safeguards intended to prevent such tragedies.
James called the settlement a “critical step toward accountability,” emphasizing that businesses cannot evade responsibility when their products are marketed in ways that facilitate illegal weapon modifications. “No company is above the law,” she said in a statement. “When corporations ignore commonsense gun laws and put profit over public safety, my office will act.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Mean Arms must cease all sales and advertising targeting New York residents, implement strict compliance controls, and refrain from shipping restricted components into the state. The financial penalty includes funds earmarked for victim compensation and community recovery initiatives.
Gun control advocates hailed the ruling as a landmark use of state consumer protection and public nuisance statutes to hold firearm-related businesses accountable. Industry groups, however, warned the decision could set a precedent affecting manufacturers nationwide.
The case marks one of the most significant enforcement actions yet under New York’s expanded authority to pursue companies whose practices contribute to gun violence.
